Putin Shouldn’t Feel Too Good About Russians in the Baltics
A pro-Russia political party rises in Latvia, but pro-Russia sentiment doesn’t.
Pro-European.
Photographer: Ilmars Znotins/AFP/Getty ImagesDespite news reports of a “pro-Russian” party’s victory in last Saturday’s parliamentary election in Latvia, the election provides evidence that if Russian President Vladimir Putin makes any inroads in the Baltic states, it won’t be through their democratic institutions.
There’s little doubt that Putin has his eye on the Baltics. As the Kremlin faces European sanctions for its Ukrainian adventures, it’s only natural to look for a backdoor into the European Union through the large Russian minorities of Estonia and Latvia — about a quarter of each country’s population — which often watch Russian state TV and end up in Russian-language filter bubbles on the social networks.