Russia Is Preparing to Invade East Ukraine, Estonia Says

[Igel]

15. Yes, it does.

It was occupied by Russia before WWI. Annexed.

It got its freedom partly because of German occupation, and partly because it fought Lenin's imperialist army when Lenin was trying to reestablish control over the entirety of the former empire. Empires are okay if they're run by progressives.

It was occupied again by Russia before Russia entered WWII. . One grievance was that it wasn't neutral, harboring a Polish sub (since there was no war with Poland, neutrality is a squishy concept--but clear enough to the parties involved: You're doing something we don't like). Having snagged half of Poland, Russia then decided it needed the Baltics. It wanted Soviet troops and bases in Estonia, or would be invaded.

Estonia said "okay," and a year later was blockaded and occupied. Russia feared it. Having been oppressed, and then helped by the Germans, perhaps it would again side wrongly and resist being a good vassal state.

After the war, since it "wasn't any of our business" and Estonia was in the "Russian sphere of influence" and we "had problems at home," we traded a lot of countries and millions of people for our peace and security. So Russians settled in occupied Estonia, and, when it finally broke away from the USSR, was reproved with "all you had to do is ask and we'd have let you go, you lousy ingrates--and be sure to treat our tireless servants in the interest of humanity, those who oppressed you, well." Like Poland, Hungary, and Czechoslovakia.

There followed the the usual progressive, pro-humanist sabre-rattling when the indigenous population decided to reassert its rights and culture over the colonial population and not show proper gratitude for decades of political, economic, and cultural repression.

Why, it would be like Native Americans daring to assert that they have some rights. Or Kenyans wanting the British out. Or even the Chechens having enough of occupation.