Erkki Koort: descendants of Estonians may also escape from Russia

One of the rogue states of the world has proclaimed mobilization to save their "Blitzkrieg" in Ukraine. We have a border with this neighboring country and we should not forget that the military units behind our border have also performed war crimes in Ukraine.

True, at the moment the bases across our border are relatively empty and the fighting capability of some units has fallen to zero. The best-known of them is probably the 76th Airborne and Assault Division in Pskov, whose several units have been practically destroyed. However, this formation is still based only 50 kilometers away from our border.

On the one hand, the announcement of mobilization by Russia was a relatively logical step, which was taken illogically late. Not much has changed in military terms.

On the other hand, we should very carefully monitor the developments in Russia and think about what to do with people escaping from mobilization, especially of Estonian origin. According to various estimates, there are 100,000 people in Russia who may have the right to Estonian citizenship. What do we do when hundreds or thousands of them try to flee from mobilization and reach Estonia? How shall we react? Should we send them back? Give them shelter? Some third option?

The situation for Russia's neighbors is tense, not so much because of the mobilization, but due to the related effects of the mobilization.

Those escaping from the Russian mobilization cannot expect a future in Estonia