Latvian Foreign Minister Baiba Braža says that, based on information received today from relevant authorities, and after discussions with the Prime Minister and Interior Minister, the process has been initiated to add a Russian citizen to Latvia’s list of personae non gratae.

Baltic Takes (formerly badbaltictakes)@baltictakes.com · 6d ago

Leonid Ragozin made a threat to his Latvian host country on a recent Russian propaganda show, hosted by Aaron Maté, in which he also indulged in absurd atrocity denialism.

August Hanning was head of Germany’s foreign intelligence service under Gerhard Schröder during the period in which Berlin got hooked on Russian energy, with Hanning backing Nord Stream 1. Short 🧵.

Moscow says there’s been a small accident but the situation is all under control. That’s how Pravda first reported the Chernobyl disaster, 30 April 1986, buried at the bottom of an inside page. In case anyone needs a reminder.

Leonid Ragozin made a threat to his Latvian host country on a recent Russian propaganda show, hosted by Aaron Maté, in which he also indulged in absurd atrocity denialism.

Drones enter Latvia, diverted by Russian electronic warfare, aimed at undermining support for Ukraine > Government resigns after criticism of response > New Latvian PM vows stronger defence, Ukrainian victory > Voters deliver him biggest ever win, increasing support for Ukraine.

Latvian PM Andris Kulbergs hasn’t been shy telling Europe that the Baltics were always right about Russia - and that Europe must now ensure Ukrainian victory. He won’t be going quiet any time soon. Latvian voters just gave him an unprecedented mandate: www.baltictakes.com/latvian-vote...

With almost all votes counted, Latvians have given a rare landslide to the United List of Andris Kulbergs. Of most interest to international followers: Kulbergs is very pro-Ukraine, NATO, Europe. He’s clear Ukraine must win, not just survive, and that Europe must step up to ensure its security.

This is odd. Kulbergs is not generally classified as a populist by conventional definition. The label is used matter-of-factly here without substantiating it in the article, except claiming he was “ranting” about the EU unsanctioning oligarchs, which could be better described as “firmly opposing”.

Dārgie latvieši. Īss sveiciens no jūsu jaukajiem kaimiņiem Igaunijā un Lietuvā - un no visiem jūsu draugiem visā pasaulē. 🇪🇪🇱🇹❤️🇱🇻 Mēs zinām, ka jūs esat gudri, inteliģenti un, protams, ārkārtīgi skaisti cilvēki - tāpēc neaizmirstiet šodien nobalsot līdz plkst. 20.00.

Latvia Flag Waving at Sunset

ALT: Latvia Flag Waving at Sunset

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We’ll just let Mikhail Gorbachev fact check Tucker here.

Countries usually like to keep quiet about espionage cases. Sometimes that helps gather more counter-intelligence without revealing methods. Often though, it can just be about saving face and keeping relations uncomplicated. Those days are over: www.baltictakes.com/estonia-just...

Badbaltictakes is now simply Baltic Takes. Been spending time in Latvia, talking to wonderful followers about how we better amplify Baltic perspectives, not just play whack-a-mole with bad takes thirsty for attention. “So why didn’t you just shorten the name to Baltic Takes?” they pointed out.

Estonia’s Internal Security Service (KAPO) has officially attributed an arson attack against a defence company to Russia. “Estonia remains a safe and secure country, and we are committed to doing everything necessary to keep it that way.”

‘Golden arches theory’ is still not aging well, as this McDonalds warehouse burns in Ukraine after a Russian attack. Let’s talk about this. Thomas Friedman came up with the Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention in the 90s, arguing that countries with McDonalds don’t fight each other. 🧵..

Great journalism here in the Times from Oliver Moody, Larisa Brown, and Marc Bennetts listened to a wide range of European security officials and defence ministers. A quick summary.🧵 www.thetimes.com/world/russia...

You've verbalized what bugs me about the debate. People assume that Estonians and Balts haven't been paying attention to the Russian threat or what tactics Russia has employed in Ukraine. They also assume that there are active separatist movements in the region. None of these assumptions are true.

The CIA revised down its assessment of Russia’s threat to NATO, reports Michaeld Weiss on The Bulwark. Despite a lot of “clickbait bullshit” this week, the CIA is aligned with European intelligence agencies, including in the Baltics.

That Danish intelligence report is broadly in line with what the Baltics are saying. The threat assessment is unchanged here. Leipzig shows how all of Europe is threatened by Russia - and all of Europe could actually learn more from the Baltics. Full story: www.badbaltic.com/listen-to-th...

When you’re so anti-imperialist that you think only Westerners have agency. Greetings from the Baltic countries, by the way. Do us next. In that same period, the Baltics achieved some of the highest levels of human freedoms and fastest growth in the world.

Wow. Nearly 40% of US senators are now part of the Baltic Freedom Caucus. According to Alex Raufoglu, Senior Washington Correspondent for Radio Free Europe, that means the Baltic Freedom Caucus has just become the largest Senate caucus connected to a country or region.

Popular Press

ALT: Popular Press

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John Mearsheimer is hailed as an intellectual titan by both ends of the political spectrum. Tucker Carlson called him “an oracle” who is “universally respected” for being a smart authority on Russia. His recent visit to Russia seems to raise some doubt about that: www.badbaltic.com/acclaimed-ru...

Hasan Piker has broken ranks with John Mearsheimer following his visit to Russia, saying that the realist scholar is too sympathetic to Russia and too overconfident about its situation. Unrealistic, you might say.

The world’s wrongest man, John Mearsheimer, says he was effectively penniless during his recent visit to Russia because the “Russia expert” didn’t know his US credit card wouldn’t work there.

The flags of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania were first raised at the UN 35 years ago today. We could finally get back to helping build a better rules-based world for all sovereign nations.

Sean Thomas is a journalist and author from the extraordinary riverside city of London, basically an Italian Imperial Warsaw, now stranded in England. It makes one mourn for what Italy, and Europe, might have been, absent the barbarian invasions.

The Baltic countries warned the world what Russia is. They were exactly right.

As if “hybrid” wasn’t bad enough, we also keep hearing media reports about “stray” drones entering the Baltics. Were the drones that Russia deployed in Leipzig also stray?

Lithuania’s most pro-Kremlin politician, Eduardas Vaitkus, has had to abandon his campaign to get a seat in Parliament. Candidates needed at least 1,000 nominations from residents to run. According to the Central Electoral Commission, Vaitkus recorded just 25 electronic nominations.

A Serbian tennis coach who celebrated a russian missile strike on the home of a Ukrainian tennis star has just been suspended. Vladimir Odobasic wrote “Bravo Rusija,” on a post by Dayana Yastremska showing the destruction to her apartment block by a Russian Kalibr cruise missile on Friday.

Congratulations, @glandsbergis.bsky.social, on your French state honour. Former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis has some of the sharpest takes that all Europeans need to hear. France has now awarded him with the Knight's Cross of the French Legion of Honour.