Jens Asbjørn Bøgen
The accusations mirror the ones Putin used to justify the invasion of Ukraine.
In 2021, before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin published an essay titled On the Historical Unity of Russians and Ukrainians.
The essay has been widely discredited for rewriting historical facts and containing claims that have, at best, not been verified.
One of the claims made by Putin was that Russian-speaking minorities in Ukraine, especially in the eastern regions, were subjected to widespread discrimination at the hands of Kyiv’s lawmakers through laws and regulations regarding language and education.
Now, the Kremlin is using the same justification to launch a lawsuit against three NATO countries — a move that one of the countries describes as a Russian disinformation campaign.
Smoke and mirrors
According to the independent Russian outlet Novaya Gazeta, citing the Russian state-affiliated Izvestia, the Russian Foreign Ministry will turn to the U.N.’s court in The Hague.
The Kremlin claimed that Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia had refused “to cease their unlawful policies, and all attempts to resolve the differences through negotiations have proven fruitless,” sparking diplomatic anger.
The Baltic governments have repeatedly denied any unfair treatment. Speaking to the Kyiv Independent, the Estonian Foreign Ministry called the move a continuation of hostile behavior.
“This is nothing new. It is part of Russia’s continuous pattern of behavior and a continuation of the disinformation campaign against the Baltic states,” the Estonian Foreign Ministry told the Kyiv Independent in a statement.
A deliberate distraction
The escalation comes as Moscow ramps up threats against the three NATO members.
The three nations all have Russian-speaking communities with roughly one third of the populations of Latvia and Estonia speaking Russian natively.
Officials believe the legal attack serves a specific purpose. “This slander is being spread in order to divert attention from Russia’s own violations, such as the current brutal attacks against Ukrainian civilian targets,” the Estonian ministry said.
According to Tallinn, the smear campaign is “aimed at undermining support for Ukraine and discrediting democratic institutions and allies more broadly.”
The new legal loophole
The move comes shortly after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a highly controversial piece of legislation.
The new law officially gives the Kremlin leader sweeping authority to deploy troops across international borders.
According to the text, cited by the Russian state-run news agency Interfax, these sudden military deployments are meant to shield nationals living outside the country.
The bill passed through Russia’s State Duma on May 13 before quickly landing on the president’s desk for final approval on May 25.
Now, the Russian military can legally intervene if a citizen faces arrest, trial, or detention by foreign nations.
Sources: Russian media, Kyiv Independent, Estonian Foreign Ministry, Latvian Foreign Ministry, Interfax, Novaya Gazeta
