MAY 18 - Arrive in Tallinn before noon. We have been trying to use public transport as much as possible for the transfers to our hotels, and this one is easy. Just a walk and one tram line. We have several apps that work well for giving the public transport options. My favorite is Citymapper, which has a dense set of information for larger cities (mostly capitals). Google Maps also does well, and includes smaller cities. Often I use Citymapper, and cross reference it with what Janet is getting with Google Maps. For tracking yourself without using data or having wifi, Guru Maps is good, as the map information is very detailed and all it needs is to be able to locate you via satellite. So, failing any connection, you can still see where you are.
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Dump the bags at our hotel (yes, actually in a bona-fide hotel today) and head out to see the old part of the city. The day is completely clear and not really cold, so no time to waste. It feels so much more like spring here, with all the new growth coming out.
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It is fairly clear, from the number of Ukrainian flags hanging form buildings, where most people stands with respect to the current Russian military action in Eastern Europe. But what has the Estonian government actually said? I present a few quotes from the New York Times, dated March 24, from Kaja Kallas, the prime minister of Estona, when she describes several actions that should be taken in response to the war:
“To put an end to these horrors, the most optimistic observers have put their hope in a peace deal. But peace is not going to break out tomorrow. We must face up to the fact that the Kremlin’s idea of European and global security is completely at odds with that of the free world. And Vladimir Putin is willing to kill and repress en masse for the sake of it.
At NATO, our focus should be simple: Mr. Putin cannot win this war. He cannot even think he has won, or his appetite will grow. We need to demonstrate the will and commit resources to defend NATO territory. To check Russia’s aggression, we need to put in place a long-term policy of smart containment.”
And as for Ukrainian refugees, Ms. Kallas goes on:
“Moscow may think that forcing millions of Ukrainians to leave and seek shelter across Europe will destabilize our societies. This is also part of Mr. Putin’s war aims, and one of the tools of his hybrid warfare. We must show him he’s wrong.
Neighboring countries have already been extraordinarily welcoming in such a short period of time, and the European Union immediately gave Ukrainians the right to live and work in the bloc. In Estonia, we have welcomed many Ukrainian refugees, who now make up around 1.6 percent of our population. All countries should do as much as they can to provide a safe haven for Ukrainian refugees until they can return home.”
The last bit causes one to pause for a moment. Putting it into context with, say, the United States, this would be the same as letting in a bit over 5,000,000 people, over the course of a month, from a single source.
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