Russian President Vladimir Putin has no interest in attacking eastern Estonia, specifically the city of Narva, with the aim of establishing a so-called “Narva People’s Republic” in Europe. This view was expressed by former Ukrainian Foreign Minister Pavlo Klimkin in an interview with Radio Liberty, according to Glavkom.
The Kremlin’s Plans and Putin’s Ambitions
Klimkin noted that Putin’s ambitions are much more far-reaching. He seeks to negotiate with individual countries without a united Europe, especially one that supports Ukraine. The Russian president understands that with Europe’s support, Ukraine cannot be broken, so this support must be eliminated.
However, according to Klimkin, the Kremlin may resort to provocations only if it perceives an immediate threat to the regime. This could include increasing military deployments in Belarus or launching drones over Russian territory.
The Disinformation Campaign and Its Goals
Western media report that Russia is launching a major information and psychological operation against Estonia, promoting the idea of creating the “People’s Republic of Narva.” The Kremlin is attempting to replicate the 2014 scenario, which was previously used to destabilize eastern Ukraine.
Narva is a strategically important border city where about 90% of the population is Russian-speaking, making it a target for propaganda. Estonian Security Police spokeswoman Marta Tuule called this activity a classic disinformation campaign aimed at dividing society and creating an atmosphere of instability.
