The Baltics and Russia: A Long Divorce
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- čas přidán 22. 01. 2021
- Into Europe: The Baltics are under constant pressure from their Russian neighbour which has pursued an aggressive foreign policy in the wake of NATO's and the EU's eastern expansion.
How are Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia adapting to their Eastern neighbour? How are they leaving behind their Soviet past? What are they doing to build up their infrastructure?
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Sources:
www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english...
www.reuters.com/article/litgr...
www.reuters.com/article/lithu...
www.reuters.com/article/nordi...
russiamatters.org/analysis/un....
www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/0...
www.economist.com/europe/2019...
www.politico.eu/article/latvi...
rsf.org/en/news/baltic-countr...
www.bbc.com/news/world-europe...
www.euronews.com/2020/07/09/l...
news.err.ee/1110560/estonia-d...
www.atlanticcouncil.org/blogs...
www.npr.org/2018/10/28/654142...
www.euronews.com/2020/07/09/l...
www.lrt.lt/en/news-in-english...
russiamatters.org/analysis/un....
rusojuz.lv/en/defenders-of-ru...
3:30 Small Correction: It is a Lithuanian-Swedish cable NOT a Latvian-Swedish one
4:09 The Russian tracks are wider than the European ones, not vice-versa
4:15 - 4:30 Natural Gas is quite important ;-) #Oups
On another note, as you can probably tell the video schedule is quite irregular right now.
I'm trying to improve the quality which also requires me to learn how to use After Effects (properly) and takes quite a bit of time.
So I just wanted to mention that I can't promise to upload regularly right now, I'll do my best though.
Cheers!
I hope you understand how important your channel could become to Europeans looking for clear, in depth information & news about current events throughout the EU.
Channels made by Europeans focused on Europe, with high quality videos like this really are few and far between. I really wish you success with your channel because people in the EU desperately need more accessible, easy to understand methods to follow European politics. I reckon most young people understand US politics better than our own.
In love with the channel so far.
Thank you, I aim to make this channel the one I wish I could have watched myself!
Still a long way to go, but I'll get there :)
One mistake about Lithuania LNG. The terminal was constructed several years ago. and it is capable of double the current volumes, they simply need the demand which would come from the pipeline.
One more correction: in “using wider European train tracks” should be vise versa because European width is 1435mm called “standard gauge” while Russian width is 1520mm called “broad gauge”
Also, Gorbachev’s ‘glasnost’ policy was in the latter half of the 1980s rather than in the 1990.
Divorce? It is an escape, not a divorce. They were never ”happily married”, they were abducted!
Who said the marriages have to be happy? People marry for a lot of reasons, happiness is just one of it. Given the prevalence of divorces in many societies, people should marry for rational reasons and not for 'love'. Rationale marriage last longer and are much more stable. But we both can agree on the point that a marriage has to be on equal terms for both parties.
@@chrishieke1261 because the marriage was literally forced, we had no say in it.
@@fabriciocastellano710 The Baltic countries were oppressed. We weren't allowed to speak our own language in public, it wasn't in school, anyone who spoke out about anything was sent to a gulag and people were treated like slaves. Not to mention how thousands of innocent people were sent to gulags in Siberia for being "too smart" such as my own great uncle. This all is just the tip of the iceberg, The Soviet Union didn't do anything for us except push us back and oppress us.
@@fabriciocastellano710 I never said that the USA is good, I don't think that it's perfect and they've done so much bad stuff too. What I'm saying is that the USSR isn't good either.
@@dooy6762 So my good friend, we got caught in a cold war between two great world powers. This conversation was very good and we got very good knowledge about the past.
As a Russian I can say, that I am really ashamed of what my ancestors did with the Baltic countries. I am happy that you managed to do a lot to make your independence stronger. Hope, one day, Russia will stop its ridiculous aggressions and become a peaceful country among other peaceful nations. Greetings from Moscow.
@Ziezi The First the problem is that Russia still glorifies communist times, Stalin, Lenin and their past. Doesn't sound like a victim if you love it to this day tho
💚
@@HarumashimaLT it's because their leader is still blinded by the KGB training
@Matricx700 Wrong. The data shows that the Baltic countries are a way better place to live than Russia.
@Matricx700 Well, if you say that before the fall of the URSS a person could be better off in the Russian-Moscow area than in the Baltics, then that might be true. But times have changed and that isn't the case anymore.
The ban on Russian state TV isn't really a loss for journalism because there's barely any intergrity left. It's pure propaganda at this point.
Yes, but bans do give RT legitimacy. What the Baltics should do instead is fine RT unless they put a banner stating RT is Russian state-sponsored and are known for anti Latvia/Lithuuania/Estonia propaganda.
The funny fact is that one of the best Russian independent media is located in Riga, Latvia.
@@belakovdoj yes, and it needs help now as they are outlawed and can not collect advertisment revenue
100%
@@belakovdoj You do mean anti-Russian propaganda.
Thank you for using the term "REgained their independence". Most videos I've watched fail to mention that. We are not new countries crated in 1991
By joining the EU, the Baltic states lost their independence, for which they allegedly fought...
@@user-vx1rr4zn3n No. That's what the people wanted and the EU greatly improved the quality of life in these countries. If Latvia, Lithuania or Estonia wanted to leave, they would be free to do so. However leaving would be stupid as with EU the citizens of the countries are now more free than ever, since they can use their Euro almost anywhere in the EU, travel without a visa and live without needing any permit.
@@user-vx1rr4zn3n Lmao nice Kremlin talking point, the EU is great.
@@zzap4922 Whatever you say, Dmitriy. 😂
Independence.... That's how you call beeing occupied by the US?
Support to Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian people! Stay strong 💪 Greetings from Poland 🇵🇱
What about stateless people? You are limited.
Those people can't even travel. Thats braking of basic human rights
@@siux94 Not true. They are not stateless. They hold alien passports. Alien passport gives you the right to travel in Schengen zone as any Latvian person could, plus Russia guarantees visa free travel from their side. Their passports are actually more powerful than latvian as they dont need visas for both. Everyone has some form of documents, none of them are stateless, some got russian passports, some were naturalised (in 1991 40% held alien passports, today its just 10% and its by far not just russians) Who lied to you? You spilled so much bs in this comment section that makes no sense.
@@workingclassilliuminaty They can you clown. What are you even talking about?
@@workingclassilliuminaty Yes they can, but the procedure would be closer to that of a russian emigrant, since alien passports are different in some ways, they can still travel to both Schengen and Russia freely, which makes alien passports actually more powerful than both russian and latvian. Also the naturalisation processes are changing constantly and arent that hard at this point, also theres not that much of its holders, its drastically decreasing every year. It was 15% just back in 2014 and now its 10 (2,5% of them fellow lithuanians by the way as this isnt some sort of specific russian law, but about economic immigrants since the 1940s in general). Actual native russian-latvians never had that problem as and latvia born russians or most of the elders.
That is true. Poland always ready to help... Ha Ha. They don't want to speak Russian, so now they have to speak Poland
We are not escaping russian culture and language. Every Baltic country has theyr own languague and culture. That is why we managed to live trough occupation, rusification and all this crap. First written Lithuanian book "Katekizmas" came to life earlier than first russian book.
I honestly feel sad for Lithuania during the Polish-Lithuanian thing, as they had the most land between the two but has less power
@@conejitorosada2326 land /= power. Commonwealth population was diverse but only about 8% of commonwealth population was Lithuanian, there was about 40% of Poles, 40% of rus (not Russians - Ukrainians, Belarusans, and few other Slavic minorities like Lemks). The rest was Jews, Latvians, Germans/Prussians, Dutch and Tatars. Poland had most power and strength as this part was the most economically developed.
Standart Lithuanians - nationalist and mean.
@@Vlad-rk5go Nationalists for a reason. Mean, I would say that we have our opinion and we know how to express it.
Baltics were escaping Russian occupation, Russians were not exporting any culture, they are just exporting vodka and guns, that's their culture.
Shout out to my Baltic brothers and sisters, from Germany!
Yes just please stay in Germany hahah
@@iBreakAnkles4Fun Hahahahahahaha, it's funny because Germany attempted to do the same thing with the Baltic states! Long live Lietuvos Respublika, don't trade your memory with anyone! From Argentina.
@@dariocastiella5860 Yeah I was referring to the teutonic crusades that they ended up losing in 1410 after 400yrs of campaigning haha
@@iBreakAnkles4Fun Oh I thought you were referring to the nazi occupation and their Generalplan Ost, where they planned to slaughter 85% of Lithuanians for "ethnic cleansing", as they thought they got too mixed with the slavs. Russians had their blow with their attempt of Russification, but without the slaughtering bit.
@@dariocastiella5860 That also!
There is no divorce. The Baltics were forced to be married by the soviets.
they were also forced to be part of the Russian empire
@@gentlebabarian Technically not since the region was conquered to Russia from the Swedes and Poles
@@MrKakibuy That doesn't make any sense.
@@StenKilla The Baltics were not sovereign nations when they became part of Russia, the region was simply conquered by Russia when it was a part of a different empire, is all I am saying.
@@MrKakibuy Well seemd you were arguing against the fact we were Forced.
When russian empire occupied the baltics from the Swedish empire doesn't mean people living here didn't have a national identity themselves
A tunnel between Tallinn and Helsinki would be about as long as the Channel Tunnel and would help to fully integrate the North East with the rest of the EU.
No, it would be longer. The Channel Tunnel is about 50 km long. The distance between Helsinki and Tallinn is a bit over 80 km as-the-crow-flies and the hypothetical tunnel would likely be somewhat longer than that.
I find it ok to ban Russian state media. One does not have to listen to lies about one being told in front of oneself.
Yeah its especialy dangerous currently because of the covid 19. Russian minoritys having highest rate of the virus because they refuse to wear masks and dont take it seriously.
@@kriskt4754 especially if Russian media tells lies and propaganda to a Russian minority its dangerous as seen in the case lisa f en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Criminal_case_of_Lisa_F.
Our (Latvian) constitution says that we are not only a free, judicially coherent, but also a national Republic. Thus, despite having freedom of expression, I believe there is nothing wrong in outlawing foreign media that practically denies our statehood and legitimacy.
@@user-gf8mr8uf7t bit brutal, no?
@@user-gf8mr8uf7t How it feels to be national traitor? 😉 Nonono i must admit many russian madia companies are owned by real traitors who do threr best to make Russia look bad. Not gonna lie... It's kinda understandable that you think what you think.
Much love to our Baltic European brothers from Greece ❤️
quiet ukrainian whisper:
wait, you could do that?
yep we tried too, but later and gets war
Belarus: "Yeah, but why would you want to?"
Hopefully by the time Ukraine is free from Russia's grasp, they will still have most of their land still
@@RockSmithStudio nie mam żadnych nadziei względem narodu który gloryfikuje zbrodniarzy którzy dokonali ludobójstwa! nie mam nadziei dla narodu gloryfikującego zbrodniczą ideologię... oni nie są częścią cywilizowanego świata... dlatego jeśli już czegoś po nich się spodziewać to to że będziemy walczyć z Rosją do ostatniego żywego Ukraińca...
@@00pingvin00 we didn't and still got war.
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, you are the greatest!
🇺🇦❤️🇪🇪🇱🇻🇱🇹
Homie is alien, Putin is angel
@@kxmalahov bot
@@alfiehudson158 big support to Ukraine❤❤
@@kxmalahov kremlin shill
Oh I love that you did something on the Baltics! Its really sad that "European" Documentations tend to forget our Eastern Member States and their unique situations. Could you maybe do something on the European Road vs Rail Situations? =)
Thank you! Though I won't make any promises for future content because I don't know if I can deliver on them 😅
I agree, it would be an interesting subject not only for the EU audience, but for the world wide one‼️
Who did you call eastern?
@@songrada1 That's not a problem, that's just how most people - I myself - tend to categorize places. I live in the middle of Germany, but since it belonged to the GDR for 50 years, most 'westerners' (see ... I'm doing it already) simply call it 'East Germany'. I'm not living in the east of Germany ... my town is more to the west then large parts of Bavaria. The 'east' is on the other side of the Oder river. Maybe a bit further east, but the history of the last century has turned this question into power keg that can lead to a sudden explosion of an all-out discussion war.
Maybe we should stop adding political/cultural meanings to geographic terms. Lumping the EU countries, the USA, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Israel together in the category 'Western countries' is nonsense, but it is done all the time. And the Baltic states aren't less European, just because someone calls them 'Eastern Member States'.
@@chrishieke1261 I dont really care how do you call Germany's occupied part by russians. Baltic country's are northern countries, if they were occupied by russians or germans, it doesn't make them eastern. Get used to it.
Most important - Baltic states didn't divorce from ussr but REGAINED their independence which was lost due to soviet occupation in 1940.
Love to 🇪🇪 and 🇱🇻 and 🇱🇹 from Finland 🇫🇮
❤ love from Baltic countries ❤. Let's stay together with Ukraine no matter what 😊
I love the video but as a train fan I can not stand silent when you said that the russian gauge was smaller than the european. it is the other way around. Eropean standard gauge is 1435 mm and russian standard gauge is 1520 mm. just a friendly reminder.
I love your passion!
Когда в России строили железную дорогу, строители пришли к Петру I и просили "Какую ширину колеи выбрать? Так же какв Европе, или же больше?" На что Пётр ответил: "Нахуй больше?"
Great video, it really is densely filled with information and a ton of different sources. 👍
I had some help with the sources ;) Thanks!
@@IntoEurope I have to disagreee...I already hate the title...we didnt marry Russia...THEY HELD US CAPTIVE...this wasnt a loving marriage but rrather rape
1 correction: trade with Russia is dwarfed by trade with the EU, at least in Latvia, but I'm sure it's the same case in the other Baltics. "In 2020, Latvia’s biggest trading partners were Lithuania (17% of Latvia's total trade turnover), Estonia (10%), Germany (9%), Russia (7%) and Poland (7%)." "In 2020, exports to EU countries made up to 66% of the total volume of Latvian exports"
It is the same for Estonia
Same in Lithuania. Only 11% of trade is done with Russia.
@@mjk8019 Russia is the main trading partner of Lithuania both by import and by export. Look at the worldbank statistics.
@@mjk8019 Sadly you are wrong, as Russia is still the biggest trading partner by numbers.
@@ErnestasMage Well it could be, but still it's only 11%. Not 30 or even 15.
Good for the Baltic States. They have always been culturally part of the West. It's amazing the way they have preserved their own languages, cultural traditions and sense of nationhood despite generations of aggressive Soviet attempts at Russification. One of the most moving documentaries I have ever seen is "The Singing Revolution" (2006), about the Baltic States' (especially Estonia's) road to self-determination and the restoration of their independence during the period of "glasnost" in the 1980s and early '90s. So many of the Baltic peoples were murdered by Stalin and the Soviets after the annexation of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania (tens of thousands, maybe even hundreds of thousands, a large percentage in the small, sparsely populated countries), it approached something resembling genocide. It was also criminal the way the Soviets tried to erase the languages and cultures of the three small nations during their occupation. And Russia has never atoned for what they did to the Baltic states! But the Baltic peoples, with courage, determination and perseverance, won the day in 1991. My respect and admiration for these three brave small nations is boundless.
They have never been under any kind of Russification. As you can hear their language was not forbidden in schools as they do with Russian.
@@Boyar300AV Russian troll.
I like how casual historians like you love to romanticize little nations with western roots but initially baltics and their culture almost died out under german rule, they all had to speak german. Many soviet Republics were treated a lot worse than Baltics including Kazakhstan where under cruel soviet regime people almost got extinct and millions died millions fled to China, Iran, Turkey etc. This was more like genocide. All these millions who left their home or died under soviet occupation were replaced by ethnically Russian people, and in fact Russians were the majority in Kazakh Republic. But there in the west you have 0 bit of knowledge of what’s going on and laugh when you hear of Kazakhstan ‘cause you think of Borat and not of a 5th largest postsoviet economy right after baltics and Russia. So please stop the bs like they were treated so damn wrong and the other soviet republics are responsible for that Baltic nations lived in a lot better circumstances especially economically unlike previously mentioned kazakh republic.
Well.. we preserved it cuz.. actually there was not so aggressive russification like our politics love to tell to westerners. As Estonian I can confirm that local media, education and everything were in our local (Estonian) language even on Soviet time, so.. nobody haven't tried to kill our language or culture to be honest. Stalin era stuff what You mention was mostly class-fight - not cultural thing. Of course it does not sound that way so epic and cool but yea.. truth is rather boring.
@@Boyar300AV you should read more. while the local language wast outright banned it was repressed. and that is only the language part. russification involved more. russian is not forbidden. its just that state funded schools will stop teaching in a foreign language. russians arent a historical minority, they dont have a right to russian education by the state. ussr time were a little different as lithuanians, latvians and estonians are natives. they were careful to avoid uprisings and make themselves seem better than they were.
At first, it was not a marriage. When Germany occupied Belgium, France or Norway - was it a marriage?
In some cultures, like gypsies, this is how you marry
@@AnonimoslawAnonimowy How many Belgians are gypsies?
No, it was not. But neither were the conquests of Rome and Carolus Magnus, the colonisation of Northern America or this whole business with the Belgian Congo. The sad truth of our human nature is that we are an expansive and invasive tribal species.
@@valacarno We aren't talking here about Belgians, but Russo-Baltic relations, and none of those ethnicities are specially European _per se_ , hence Gypsy metaphor was used, I presume.
SAY IT WITHOUT CRYING
There can be no irrational fear of russia, only rational. We in finland would have the exact same situation and problems to deal with today if we hadn´t made an almost supernatural effort to hold that bridge in ´44...
Which bridge?
@@termin1071 Kivisilta/Ihantala
@@AlfaGiuliaQV Thanks, I never heard of this battle before. It was great victory for Suomi!
Anyway it would be even better, if Finland did not ally with nazis.
@@termin1071 The truth is, we probably wouldn´t have made it without german supplies, but it is what it is. I´ts easy to point the finger of accusation today, but there really was never any choise. By that time the western powers pretty much had turned their backs on us anyway. It was a fight for survival on our own accords and with litteraly whatever piece of shrapnel was at hand at that time.
@@termin1071 It is the largest battle ever fought in the nordic region.
if historically russia respected baltic state neutrality, when maybe baltic states be fine being neutral buffer zone between nato and russia.
But now being neutral just means eventually they will be annexed by russia
Finland was long time neutral
@@ragnarlaine4065 Yeah after kicking russian ass, the only language russians understand is violence
The Baltics are lucky they escaped Russia. Hopefully Moldova, Ukraine, and Belarus can join them one day.
Belarus probably not.. they like Russia too much. :)
Hopefully they do, but they need to undergo huge transformations of their economies. Right now they are de facto socialist economies with huge corruption. The mentality of their citizens need to change dramatically as well. You don't join E.U. just because you want it. You earn it.
@@sergeypopov801 Hows the air in St. Petersburg kremlin bot?
@@sergeypopov801 That’s funny: a Russian has the gall to insult another country over alcoholism, drugs, and stagnating populations.
@@Adsper2000 infact your country is 8 times more alcoholic and drug addicted than Russia . ;) isn't it a shameful?
Props to Baltic people for standing up! As a Russian person you have all my respect!
0:50 oh yes you forgot to mention what that really meant. Basically they banished wealthy Lithuanians/Latvians/Estonians from their homes to Siberia, and let those Russians occupy their homes to stay there and live as newcomers. According to Wiki during the banishes nearly 6mln people from all the USSRS occupied countries were banished to Siberia and other places where it was nearly impossible to live properly, out of those 6mln around 1-1,5mln people died before actually reaching the destinations they were sent to. From Lithuania alone nearly ~50k people were banished.
Not just wealthy necessarily even, anyone with any wealth OR influence did too. Writers, academics all were collected in the night. And also not just Siberia :) There were quite a few labour camps "closer" like in Kazakhstan.
Me who Lives in Latvia🇱🇻 approves this
But I, who live in Riga, do not
@@user-vx1rr4zn3n we are asking latvian people opinion, not latvian citiziens, you can be african origin and be living in latvia, does that make you the one who can vote for the future of ethnic latvians? same with russians, just because you live in latvia, doesnt mean you can decide for native latvian people.
@@user-vx1rr4zn3n Your Putin said: Those who comes to live in russia must learn their languange and traditions.
I think russins in Latvia are very lazy.
This video is correct!
@@vnkceloju8618 this is coming from who ?
@@daniels1263 Very recently he said it in your news.
We weren't ever married. Rather kidnapped and shamefully raped. I'm Latvian from Riga. And I'm glad, that in cooperation with our western friends, we can brake ties with Mongols. Special thanks to US and Canada.
Russians are Russians, not mongols. Btw there is nothing wrong to be a mongol. And yes, you are a racist! After joining EU, you still didn’t acquire European values such as tolerance. It’s probably ok to be xenophobic like that in Riga, but when you go to Western Europe stay quiet.
Btw Russians are Slavic white Europeans. They are culturally, historically and religiously part of Europe whether you like it or not.
your surname is not latvian, youre only half at best. so dont talk for native latvians.
@@markassko6426 Im not Latvian and I have never been to Latvia. The fact that you check surnames and use such terms as "native latvian" and care how pure Latvian someone is, tells me you are xenophobic and racist.
@@superLarin my guy i wasnt talking to you, i was talking to original commentator. he speaks for latvians and is very UNlikely to be latvian, thats an issue.
@@markassko6426 we have alot of people with surnames like that my guy, native latvians are a surprisingly rare species of human around here these days
Your claim about the significance of economic ties between the Baltic countries and Russia is a bit exaggerated. Russia is for Estonia only the 7th biggest export partner and 6th biggest import partner. However, it is true that Estonia is having a trade deficit with Russia.
Initially there were 4 „baltic” countries. Finland is not „baltic” anymore. What is the criteria to be a „baltic”? I think Estonians should abandon this pro-Russian thing and be more like Finland or North European nation. Estonian politicans talk about higher taxes, more human rights and cooperation so it's more to do with the Nordics
thanks for such an important video
Most welcome :)
Excellent video: I speak Russian and Estonian and learned things here, which is unusual since I know this region very well. Liked, commented, and subscribed. Looking forward to seeing more of your great work!
This is like... a lot of information condensed into 10 min. Nice job!
More like a escape from an abusive relationship
Divorce is putting it lightly
Good reporting😃. I hope this gets high visibility
We never married them. It’s disrespectful and dismissive of the genocide to imply we’ve voluntarily gotten hitched with the russifists. Stop making jokes about genocide, it’s simply never funny.
Finland was part of the Russian empire
Prior to 1809 we were part of swedish empire
Before Russia Finland was directly a part of Sweden.
So funny to see hordes of russian trolls in the comments, like, who are you gonna convince, Vasia?
This video scratches their worthless souls and they say all that just out of anger
They learn propaganda in schools so to them it's "attract on poor russians and their history" because Putin is Russia to them.
If a person raped and crippled another person and then that other person ran away from the abuser, can you really call it a divorce?
Nice channel. Thank you very much for the information!
great job! thanks a lot
I'd love to visit the Baltic states, but alas I'm on the other side of the world in Australia. Before WW2, only Anglo Saxons and Celtic people were allowed to move here. The Australian govt wanted to really increase it's population through immigration and they chose Estonians as the first non-Anglo/Celt people to be let in. The Estonians were chosen to show the people here that these new immigrants were good people who would fit in well and contribute to Australian society. When the boat carrying the first Estonians arrived, the Australian officials on board asked all the young women to stand on the deck as huge crowds had gathered to welcome them to Melbourne. Once the Aussies saw all these beautiful young blonde women, they really wanted more immigrants and people from the other Baltic states were now allowed to migrate to Australia. So the Baltic states actually had a really significant impact on Australia. The govt officials really sold immigration to the population by asking those pretty young Estonian girls to stand on deck. It was a smart move. I even lived near the Estonian Club in North Melbourne (it's like a community centre, especially for the older generation as their descendants are completely Aussie now) and I really wanted to go in and explore. Anyway, you guys from the Baltic states have beautiful cultures but good grief your languages look really confusing!
What an incredible story, and I can see 100% true (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Estonian_Australians)! Putting girls on such a display would be a little odd, to say the least hihi given today's standards but back then, in a nation of immigrants I can only envision the excitement in the male part of the community :)
In fact it was a smart move to get young girls or at least maintain sex parity in immigration. Allowing males only can have a devestative side effects and turn the locals against immigration.
There is a reason Latvian is considered to be on the same difficulty level as Chinese.
@@MarijaEnchantix Not true - we have students in Latvia - japanese , hungarians , indians , germans etc. who learned basic in 3 months and speak fluently in 2-3 years . Latvian writing is exactly the same you pronounce words but can you say the same about French for instance ? :)
@@sandrisjansons1515 I have a degree in Latvian and English linguistics, teach English and speak 8 languages. Trust me, I would know the truth. Just because someone "can" learn something doesn't make the language easy or hard. Also, "you write words the same as you say them" is false - we have 3 types of letter "o", 2 types of "e" and whatnot. And all of them are written the same.
@@sandrisjansons1515 there is more to a language than how it looks or how its pronounced. french is considered quite an easy language. once you know the rules it is said to make perfect sense. not like english where the pronunciation sometimes doesnt make any sense at all. and to illustrate my point further: english is even easier.
Thanks for the subtitles
No problem!
Fantastic channel, so informative and fresh. Keep up the good work
A country that almost borders Germany to Japan vs three Countries combined smaller than England, that’s kinda scary....
There was an error at 8:42. The 3 seas initiative was started by Poland and Croatia and not by Poland and Romania.
The modern Three Seas Initiative was launched in 2015 by Polish President Andrzej Duda and Croatian President Kolinda Grabar-Kitarović. It held its first summit in Dubrovnik (Croatia) on 25-26 August 2016.
What's the view of Croatians on Three Seas Initative? In Poland, state owned media present it as a success of our foreign policy and important project for the entire Eastern Europe
@@RG-cc3lq I can't speak for everyone but most people don't care and it's not mentioned in the media all that much any more. Germany seems to be contrary to it. Generally speaking people in Croatia are always in favor of limiting Russia's influence because russian and croatian interests are usually the exact opposits. Serbia is Russia's strongest ally in the region and for Russia to have a strong influence there needs to be a strong Serbia and a weak Croatia. I don't have to explain why that doesn't bode well for Croatia.
@@teocikes621 German economy brings money but countries need more than one pillar to stand on, otherwise they turn into vassal-states with minimum wiggle room. The ThreeSeas goes slowly but it's good it exists, hopefully it will catch on some time. Western countries will exploit eastern countries, it's semi-intentional, people just follow the money,. In my opinion Croatia is rushing on Euro adoption and this move is mostly going to serve a small elite of better educated in the counrry and may lead rise of revisionism swinging back 5-10 years later on. I've visited Croatia and love but I see incredibly expensive yachts but this is fake richness. I see old cars and poor houses of avarege people. I remember how Poland looked like in '90s. Wise leaders would navigate their country to a path of steady and balanced progress even if that is slower in short term.
Baltic states did everything right, Ukraine will do the same, even if a little late.
@@Cjnw nope, that was the right thing to do, now they do not have to fear russian invasion or war
@@Cjnw how? Our economy litteraly scyrocketted because we could trade much more easily, now we got support if russia invades.
It was definately worth it
Screw Ukraine
@@Cjnw Ukraine didn't, now it's at war with Russia since 2014.
NATO is 100% the right choice.
Harder for ukraine since ukrainians are so much closer to russians culturally and linguistically, some time ago ukrainian was simply a dialect of russian or vice versa, both of which then branched into separate languages
I remember when Crimea was occupied, us within my family (in Latvia) literally had laid out plans what to do if the same happens here. Flee ir stay? How to flee? Where. That was actually pretty depressive.
Have you ever been at Crimea and checked what the locals thought about "occupation"?
@@user-mx9tn6mh4j yes it is occupation 💯 percent occupation. Crymea is Ukraine weather you like it or not. Whole world thinks that it is occupation except one country.
@@songrada1 Great to hear that YOU anonymous person on youtube decide politician pathway of Crimea, not locals. free your mind from rubbish western media. And after that say me please who may decide future of your hometown/country? hint: only cnn journalists have a right for, not you
@@user-mx9tn6mh4j you can take back your russian occupants to their motherland from Konigsberg and Crymea, and return the land to the natives. OCCUPANT. What bbc you are talking about when you watch russia today 24/7? Not anonymous Prigozhins farm trol.
@@songrada1 check again, your data is incorrect
That was super interesting! Keep it up!
Thanks! Will do!
Would be delighted to see an update taking into account the war in Ukraine & Finland joining NATO. I have long been concerned about the Suwalki Gap. Suspect it may be safer now.
It should be.
Bravo to the Baltic’s 🙏🏻
the Baltic's what?
@@MartinStaykov Baltic's decision to distance themselves from Russia and their influence. They understand Russia wants them under their control and the rights they'd lose if that happens
Just a bit of advice about graphics, particularly maps: Start wide, give the viewers time to get their bearings then zoom in or pan to illustrate your points, but don't over do it. On the whole I think you have chosen one of the best approaches, good quality audio recordings and the animated figure sidesteps all the "piece to camera" issues, lighting, appearance, etc.
Shut up
Well made video 👍
Inicial map is incomplete, Finland was also part of the Russian empire
But luckily never part of Soviet Union.
Before being an autonomous grand duchy of Russia's Empire of tsar 100 years Finland was directly a part of Sweden. They were the same country.
I think it's pretty clear why the Baltic countries (and pretty much the rest of the eastern EU member states) want to reduce their energy dependency on Russia, yet at the same time, I don't get why Germany is going against the trend by being very adamant with its Nordstream project with Russia? 🤔
Because German people are the only ones with enough brains. CO2 tax is going higher and higher every year. As a result, coal power plants are closed and replaced with cheaper gas station that produce 50% less CO2. If you get rid of the cheap gas coming from NS the whole industry might suffer. Anti-russian propaganda can't defeat common sense in Germany.
@@andreikoto4810 Well you're going to be a slave to Russian interests.
Because theyre idiots
thanks this is very informative
Thank you!
A pretty good coverage. Nice work!
Very in depth and well made video. Except for the last line, the Baltics will be able to escape Russian culture! It is in their northern heritage to conquer against all odds. The Baltics will one day be Nordic.
what conquest? the baltics throughout all history were just the crossroads for other expanding states, maybe with the exception of Lithuania
@@MrKakibuy I said conquer, not conquest. Yes they have been the crossroads of other expanding states, such is the case for almost all smaller sized nations in Europe as well, but clearly not throughout "all history".
@@andyadamovics855 Im still not sure what do you mean by conquer here... the Baltic nations aren't going to conquer anything right now lol, the days of conquest in Europe are pretty much over.
@@MrKakibuy And I'm still not sure why you still are replying... Clearly there is a difference between the phrase "conquer against all odds" and conquest, but maybe you reply just because you take some personal offense from my comment.
@@andyadamovics855 pardon for the ignorance but I know only 1 meaning for "conquer" and I just don't understand the phrase.
The map at 0:17 does not show Finland as part of the Russian empire. Not that I think it was a good thing, but to be accurate, Finland should be included albeit it had an autonomous status within the empire.
Thank you very much, EXCELLENT.
I've said this in the last video, but the subtitles still need a bit of work. atm they look like they were done automatically. Great video as always though.
I think there are two subtitles, the automatically generated ones and the ones I made myself. Did you also have a problem with the ones I made myself?
@@IntoEurope The ones you made yourself are the default option, they're also the ones that I was talking about. I quickly checked through the video again and I noticed that the subtitles are different in many areas, but they're still off. I see at 3:00, the automatic captions were actually right in saying "Latvian" instead of "laughing", though it lacks any punctuation and it still gets few words wrong throughout the video.
Great analysis and a channel as a whole!
Much appreciated!
Hey WTFF, We never married Russia...THEY HELD US CAPTIVE
Awesome vid
6:19 Sadly it is the opposite way around, most often than not, a Latvian who doesn't know Russian can't get a job here. Which is absurd when you think about it.
True. Latvian workers must know 3 languages to get a decent job.
@@Jeshklv On the other hand, some Russian speakers can get by just with single language, because a lot of business here is owned by Russians.
nothing absurd about it, a language spoken by 1 million people is pretty much useless
@@sleeping_beauty322 Internationally maybe, but not in the home country. We are talking about local residents who are living here their whole life. That just shows their shitty attitude.
@@sleeping_beauty322 so lithuania has 2.5 million native speakers, so when i live in my native village i cant speak lithuanian to get a job in my native farm? what logic is that? youre kremlin bot, go back.
Excellent!!! As an American, I enjoyed learning about these Nations, their history, and current politics.
You’ve earned my Sub.
Looking forward to more from your channel
Very good video! Love from a Latvian
Banning Russian propagandist state TV is very good decision. I grew up in 'Russian minority' area and I can affirm that a lot of them, especially older generation purposefully have never learned Lithuanian and were encouraged by Kremlins TV to detest their local communities, and country they are residing. They are explicitly or candidly racists towards Lithuanians and live in a bubble. Now situation is much much better after all the EU travelling and exposure to other cultures, but still Kremlin's influence is immense. The funny thing is though they don't want to move to Russia or when they go their they present themselves as foreigners :) It is a very peculiar consciousness, stuck in some sort of limbo, a fantasy that was never fulfilled, with confused identity, a lot of anger, resentment and jaded pride.
Same feeling in Latvia. It's a daily occurrence to meet ethnic russians that don't speak latvian and it's not just the older generation. And, yeah, that "i love Russia the most but i don't move to Russia" thing is confusing but i don't know statistically how widespread that thinking is here.
@@aismameijere-cirsa Perhaps it is cognitive dissonance and generational trauma mixed with EU good life and Russian TV propaganda. Lot's of contradictions, feelings and experiences, but I assume there are a lot of people like that. This jaded Russian pride is almost universal.. :)
0:29. Finland was part of Russian Empire
Not entirely,just the Eastern part
Learn history,pridurok
@@spectre2889 in fact, Finland was completely part of the Russian empire. Google before insulting other people.
finland was part of russian empire too
Yeah. But not part of the USSR, I think
@Big blue whale The videos title is Baltics and RUSSIA, tho. Just no need to include "read history, please"
Information on *residence permit* is factually false.
Russian speakers here have either a full citizenship OR partial citizenship (full rights, but can't hold an government office, because of concern of loyalty to Russia).
*Note on history:*
After the dissolution of Soviet Union everyone who lived in Latvia before WWII automatically got Latvian passport. Also a sizeable Russian speaking minority, including their descendants.
Those who came to live in Latvia from Soviet Union during Cold war either moved to Russia or stayed back in Latvia. The ones who stayed got Latvian *alien* passport which effectively is citizenship, with limit on participating in governance and army. This type of passport in the world is one of a kind, because Russian Federation gives visa-free travel to the holders of said passport which is not the case for Latvian default passport AND the alien passport holders have free travel to Schengen area as any Latvian citizen does.
This has created an absurd situation whereby alien passport holders, technically, have more freedom, not less, unlike some TV channels in Russian media like to portray. Especially on human rights.
And no one made them non-citizens, they lost citizenship as USSR no longer existed. They had to choose either Russian or local citizenship which they never did as Russia actively exploited this situation. To give automatic citizenship to USSR citizens against their will would not be best solution.
@@otofoto Moreover, majority passively refuse to make a decision - either to become a Latvian or Russian.
And the whole situation is actively portrayed as Latvia's human rights abuse, which, for the record, *is the ultimate freedom* and in no way violates anyone's rights.
Ah, one got to love the Russian media.
@@thedamntrain Which citizenship? Latvian, Estonian, Lithuanian, Ukrainian, Belarusian or Russian? Or maybe all of them? In international law only Russia represents Soviet Union. Are you saying intranational law is used to segregate people?
@@thedamntrain You do realize there is programs by Baltic States and Russia to provide a path for citizenship. Simple and cheap. I wonder why noone takes the opportunity.
@@thedamntrain All children pass the same exams regardless of politics. I think you've been misinformed. Perhaps you have a question on how it really happens here?
Also, you want me to believe my child should automatically receive Japanese citizenship, if I go to Japan and give birth to a child? Without "any special procedures"? I don't think it works like that.. otherwise everyone in the world would become Swiss citizens..
Also, since when Baltic people and Slavic people are different races? I thought we're Europeans - a single race. No?
Thank you the Englsih subtitle.
It’s a little weird having a cartoon guy presenting such a serious topic but essential information. I love and support the Baltic countries. 🇺🇸❤️🇪🇪🇱🇻🇱🇹 I pray one day the Russian government will change and we can be friends and partners 🤷♀️ because Russian people deserve better.
Where she was
Great video!
Thanks!
It is important to the baltic countries to enhance military integration with the NATO and to reduce energy dependence from the Russia.
🤡
Thanks for the video from 🇱🇹.
This is a wonderfully informative video for a viewer in Canada, who knows very little about the Baltic countries, their history and challenges. However, given the breadth of issues covered, it would have been better delivered in a much longer video, allowing the viewer to absorb all the information. I had to watch the video three times, often repeating sections, to take it all in.
Great channel!
Thank you!
here before 100.000 suscribers and before 5000 too, great content, this here is what the internet is for, non-state-controlled information, free of propaganda and fae news
Also, little subtitle correction: in 4:17, the subtitles say "clay beta" instead of Klaipeda. A funny little error, but might be confusing to someone who doesn't know better.
At 5:57 it says "schools in Latvia", but the subtitles say "schools and Lithuania".
Fixed it in the subtitles! Thanks for keeping me sharp!
Awesome video! Also Listen to the “Eastern Sunrise” Podcast on any podcast platform to find out what’s going on in the business world in the Baltics and Eastern Europe!
Thanks for sharing the hint! I can return the favor by recommending Strategy and Future think tank and of course Center for Eastern Studies (osw.waw.pl). They write about international affairs with a spin towards military czcams.com/video/FOCMM1FblVI/video.html. The Baltics are geographically vulnerable and are perfectly suited to cast doubts on the entire NATO alliance, hence the stakes are high.
Rethink your geografical imagination. Look to the map of Europe and ask yourself, if the Baltics are "eastern"?
@@audrylou290 notice the "and".
In the Baltics *and* Eastern Europe
No one blames the Baltics for trying to isolate themselves from Russia; however, that's a tall order given their physical proximity. Unfortunately the EU is in a state of perpetual existential crisis, and their failing demographics doesn't bode well for the Baltics if they go to far to isolate themselves from their biggest neighbor. Russia isn't in a much better position; however, they have a history of massive rebounds, and that should be concerning to the Baltics.
Latvia lost 28%, Lithuania lost 25% and Estonia lost 15% of their population since their independence. They are committing genocide on themselves, then blame Russia for their problems.
@@antoniorsoftware what do you mean genocide? Nobody is killing anybody. Besides is it bad that people can choose where to live?
@@karolissavickis10 Never mid these trolls. They learned a new word and are sputing it at everything "genocide" this and that. Plus Individual freedoms are so alien to them they can never comprehend when a person wants to work somewhere else
Damn, I wonder why only Lithuania has like a 3% Russian population, unlike Latvia and Estonia.
Just a historic factor, that in the Soviet times more Russians were sent to work and russianize Latvia and Estonia than Lithuania.
Becouse of Partisans. And olthou Estonia and Latvia also had them in Lithuania the resistance was biggest and bloodiest, that made Russians scared coming to Lithuania.
Its a fake in lithuania we have about 200k polish people and 200 j Russian its about 30%
@@walterduszkiewicz8892 What? A simple google search can show you that it’s only about 6%poles and 5%russians.
@@walterduszkiewicz8892 I don’t know why you would think so, mabie you live in Elektrėnai or Vilniaus Rajone.
The Baltic Kountries are making all the smart moves.
smart is when you rich and population grows. They poor and population abandoned.
@@agedmagister4562 wel them populations rich and apanded now europe Amerika to take kare.
@@agedmagister4562 they've gotten much better since the communist shit left
@@agedmagister4562 They've got much much richer since soviet times. GDP per capita is literally two times larger in the Baltic States than in Russia. And population has started to grow again. You should renew your sources.
@@agedmagister4562 I am a pure average Lithuanian. Ok let’s see what i got: i live in a well renovated krushcovka, i drive a new Nissan Juke, i have an IPhone 11 Pro Max, IPad Pro 2020, IMac 2021, i have all axis and allies games and an accordion worth 10k €.
Cannot believe how poor i am, dang I’m pretty sure that average guy from Russia drives a tesla and uses a Samsung Galaxy fold with a Mac Pro and 2 Display XDR’s while living in Putin’s mansion.
Thanks for the reminders, my teenage years exactly matched those of the Cold War (1979-1985).
It is literally impossible for any of the Baltic states to be Russophobe. A phobia is a irrational fear. All the fears arent irrational with russia track record.
you blame russians for communisim?
@@manchagojohnsonmanchago6367 when did he say that? All i saw was how the Baltics cant be Russophopic.
It doesn't make it right to be prejudiced towards Russia, though
I often see people saying things about Russians that would've been considered racist, had they been said about, say, a black or an arabic person. But people somehow turn a blind eye on it. Double standards
Latvia lost 28%, Lithuania lost 25% and Estonia lost 15% of their population since their independence. They should fear of themselves, not Russia.
@@antoniorsoftware you know most of that loss is russian imigrants from the soviet times, that are returning to russia, i dont care that we are losing russian migrants from the soviet times, that tried to russify us and undermine our own culture. It is a good thing not a bad thing to us that we are regaining are own nation
Estonia is one of the rare countries that helps France by sending troops in Sahel to fight against djihadism
True. In return France talks to Russia continiously cause they need them in the EastMed region and northern Africa.
The three Baltic nations should cooperate and together build the great Baltic wall. Sort of like the Maginot line. This will help delay any possible invasion from the East thus giving the Western powers time to send defensive troops and equipment.
Estonia's border with Russia is 294 km. (183 miles) long.
Latvia's border with Russia is 214km. (133 miles) long
Lithuania's does not border Russia proper but does border the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. which is 227 km. (141 miles) long.
Lithuania's border with Russian allie Belarus is 227 km. (141 mi) long.
!!! A lot of you are getting wrong impression about the ban of russian language. It's not what you think. In Latvia we have radio stations, newspapers and even TV channels in russian language. Some of them are state sponsored. We are expanding latvian language into russian schools (yes that is also a thing) so they could better adapt into our society, because a lot of russians don't know latvian language and it is harder for them to get a good job without the knowledge of language.
We are actually helping them...
And it think it's incredibly stupid that we still have separate schools for latvians and russians. We all should be under one roof.
I also find it a bother. If it was just older generations i could understand but if you have small kids and teanagers running around that can't even make a single sentence in latvian that's just insulting and hurtful. One of the main reasons is because of russian schools/kindergartens that 99% only teach russian. At home they speak russian, usually russian-ethnic friends, they speak russian, read russian or english. The end result: russian, for the youth also english. So how do you think what kind of sentiment that causes for local baltics?!
Although there is no such a major problem in Lithuania, I agree with you. I had a Russian colleague when I worked in Vilnius. She spoke fluent Lithuanian. Her children went to a Russian school though and spoke Russian or English between themselves and with their friends and barely could speak Lithuanian. It's not a problem if they plan to emigrate somewhere, but if they're going to stay in Lithuania, their chances to get a good job outside of the IT market are almost non existent. There would be so much easier for them if they would go to a Lithuanian/mixed school. There is this famous singer in Lithuania who is an ethnic Russian from Visaginas, where 90+ percent of population are Russians. She said herself that the best decision her parents made was to let her go to a Lithuanian school.
Map of Russian Empire is inaccurate. Finland was part of it back then.
@Big blue whale Still the map at 0:16 ist wrong...
Baltic states must increase ties with european democratic countries.
Pretty accurate video.
For us in Saint-Petersburg, Baltic states has always been a resort and a favorite places for vacation. I know how strange it sounds, but we love you, the government in Moscow can do anything, but we really love you
@Qatre Smokoza who said that I didn't die already?
Russian state TV should be banned everywhere.
Cry more
@@pacan3361 Enjoy watching propaganda ;)
Especially in Russia
@@andriusgimbutas3723 lmao true
The Baltic states have ties with Western-Europe since the hanze-cities.
Ukrain for comparisson has very loose ties with Western-Europe. Greece and Byzantium is too long ago and Genua was short lived.
Bro how much time it takes after accumulating resources?
Lack of EU involvement in the 3 Seas Initiative is explained by the need for any perceived German influence to be removed. Germany was the colonial power in the Baltic States before, during and after World War One (before inter-war independence) don't forget! 🇪🇺🇫🇷 Good video - subscribed.
Before ww1 baltics were occupied by Russian empire
@@niume7468 I stand corrected. Baltic Germans formed the nobility in the Baltic States of the Russian Empire comprising 10% of the total population (but the richest). German was the language of the controlling class. The Baltic Germans ruled for 700 years until 1918 (although, as you point out) as part of the Russian Empire. (Wikipedia)
@@andrewrobinson2565 Russian monarchy was German, doesn't mean they represented German interests
@@andriusgimbutas3723 I see from your name that you are from one of the Baltic States so I bow to your hopefully superior knowledge 📚.
@@andriusgimbutas3723 Pretty sure that the Russian monarchy had been Russian for a while, like the current British monarchy has been British for a while. I was specifically talking about the German bourgeoisie in the Baltic States in the 100 years preceding 1918 and the ensuing Civil War, NOT the monarchy.
very enriching video
Glad you liked it, thank you! :)
Interesting countries caught in the middle of past conflicts war the effects and the direction for a better deal. Some times the answers are at home which is best. To development example resources from home to include tourist which can help to help for growth.
The partisan resistance after soviet occupation in 1940 was strongest and longest in Lithuania. Actually this resistance was so strong that Russians were afraid to send there their inhabitants as they did in Latvia and Estonia. Because of that russian minority is smallest in Lithuania today.