As Russia menaces Ukraine, eastern European countries grow nervous
Even relatively friendly countries in the region mistrust Russian expansionism
THE MUNICIPAL offices in the Estonian city of Narva are just a snowball’s throw from Russia. From her window Katri Raik, the mayor, can watch cars and lorries trickling through a border checkpoint. More than 80% of Narva’s residents are ethnic Russians, a legacy of the centuries during which Narva was part first of the Russian empire and then of the Soviet Union. Ethnic Russians, nearly a quarter of the population, have grown more integrated since Estonia became independent 30 years ago. Yet most send their children to Russian-language schools and rely on Russian media. “Yesterday someone on the city council said ‘U nikh v Estonii tak [That’s how it is over there in Estonia],’” says Ms Raik.
This article appeared in the Europe section of the print edition under the headline “Who’s next?”
Europe February 5th 2022
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