The Estonian Foreign Ministry accused Russia of "falsifying history." This statement was made by the head of the department Urmas Reinsalu during the ceremony of laying a wreath at the monument to the hero of the national epic Kalevipoeg.

“Falsification of the history of Russia, which denies the annexation of Estonia, means the justification of the policy of spheres of influence and the policy of violence of totalitarian regimes, and the Republic of Estonia condemns this,” Rainslau quotes the website of the Foreign Ministry of the Baltic Republic.

The Tartu Peace Treaty is still valid, the Estonian Foreign Minister is sure.

“Russia, having annexed Zanarovye and Pechora and refusing to recognize the effectiveness of the Tartu world, violates international law. But we can’t agree with the desire of some circles to voluntarily and free of charge give our territories along with rich natural resources, ”he said.

This is not the first time that a politician has addressed the topic of “damage” allegedly caused by Estonia to Russia. At the beginning of last year, Reinsalu (then he served as Minister of Justice. - RT.) Devoted an entire article to this issue, which was published in local media.

“The Soviet Union occupied Estonia, violating the Tartu Peace. His successor, Russia, must recognize this, and in fact it, based on international law, is obliged to compensate for the damage caused by it, ”the politician wrote then.

In addition to the Foreign Minister, on February 2, 2020, Speaker of the Estonian Parliament (Riigikogu) Henn Põlluaas and President Kersti Kaljulaid spoke on the Tartu Peace Treaty.

Põlluaas stated that he “takes off his hat” to all those who fought at the beginning of the 20th century for Estonian freedom both on the military front and at the negotiating table. According to the legislator, the Tartu Peace Treaty is valid in the 21st century, since references to it were contained in the non-aggression agreement of 1932 and the base agreement of 1939.

“It does not contain any expiration dates or derogations from them,” Põllois said.

Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid also believes that the contract of 1920 is a relevant document. The politician announced this at the ceremony marking the centennial of the Tartu Treaty. According to Kaljulaid, this agreement “was, is and will remain the birth certificate of the Estonian state”.

“Estonia has not voluntarily joined the Soviet Union. We were occupied, ”the politician said.

However, the President of Estonia does not believe that the borders established in Europe following the Second World War need to be reviewed.

“Opposing rhetoric creates unnecessary confusion,” said Kersti Kaljulajd.

Recall that in May 2019, the head of the Estonian Ministry of Internal Affairs, Mart Helme (also heading the far-right Estonian party EKRE. - RT ), told reporters that Russia allegedly “occupied” 5.2% of Estonia.

Historical claims

February 2 marks the centennial of the Tartu Peace Treaty in Estonia. The document was signed between Estonia and the RSFSR in 1920 in the city of Yuryev (after being transferred to Estonia, the city became known as Tartu. - RT). The signing of the agreement ended the hostilities that unfolded on the territory of modern Estonia in those years between supporters of the proletarian revolution and representatives of the white movement. The former received assistance from Soviet Russia, while the latter relied on the Entente and the forces of General Yudenich.

Under the terms of the agreement, Estonia gained independence, and parts of the modern Pskov and Leningrad regions of Russia were also transferred to it.

  • The signing of the treaty in Tartu on February 2, 1920
  • © Tartu Linnamuuseum

The agreement stated that Moscow unconditionally recognizes the independence of the Estonian state and “forever” renounces its sovereign rights in relation to the Estonian people and territories.

In 1940, Estonia became part of the USSR, proclaiming itself a Soviet socialist republic. After that, the Tartu Peace Treaty ceased to be in force, and the Russian territories obtained under its conditions by the Estonian side were returned to the RSFSR with the consent of Tallinn.

Estonia insists that the Tartu Peace Treaty supposedly did not terminate, and Russia should transfer part of its land to Estonia. This position is enshrined in the Estonian constitution adopted in 1992. As the document reads, “the land border of Estonia is established by the Tartu Peace Treaty of February 2, 1920 and other interstate border treaties.”

Speaking at a briefing on January 30, 2020, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova commented on recent statements by the Estonian leadership. She recalled that the Estonian state that existed in the first half of the 20th century ceased to be an object of international law after entering the USSR. Therefore, the Tartu Treaty has lost force, today it is not in the register of existing UN international treaties.

In addition, the entry of the Baltic republics into the USSR was not called into question by the agreements reached after the Second World War on the post-war structure of Europe, the official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry noted.

“Unlike the Russian Federation (the successor of the USSR), today's Estonia is a new state formed due to the collapse of the Soviet Union, which is one of its successors,” emphasized Maria Zakharova, adding that the Tartu Treaty of 1920 is invalid.

  • The official representative of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Russia Maria Zakharova
  • © Vladimir Song / RIA News

The requirements put forward by Estonia do not allow the parties to delimit and demarcate the state border. In 2005, Moscow and Tallinn managed to bring their positions closer; the foreign ministers of the countries signed a compromise agreement on the state border. However, then the Estonian parliament retroactively introduced the preamble to the document on the relevance of the Tartu Peace Treaty. Moscow in response withdrew its signature on the contract.

The boundaries of the possible

According to experts, the charge of trying to falsify history should be addressed not to Moscow, but to Tallinn. As the director of the Foundation for Historical Research Foundation, Alexei Anpilogov, explained in an interview with RT, at the time when Estonia became part of the USSR, it received new administrative borders, which were defined as state borders in the early 1990s.

“Now Estonia is trying to arbitrarily derive its succession to the Republic of Estonia from 1918-1940 and denies the half-century period of its peaceful life as part of the USSR. As a result, historical phantoms arise, ”the expert noted.

A similar point of view is shared by Vladimir Shapovalov, deputy director of the Institute of History and Politics of Moscow State Pedagogical University.

“The borders that exist now are recognized by the international community and are sovereign borders of the Russian Federation. In order for Estonia to become an independent state in 1991, there was the good will of the USSR, which could leave it with fewer territories than the Estonian SSR had, ”the expert noted in a comment to RT.

Obviously, anti-Russian attacks will not help Estonia expand its territory, but at the same time they harm the country's economic interests, destroying trade ties with Russia, experts say. As Vladimir Shapovalov noted, the Estonian leadership proceeds from its own political interests, while trying to please the United States.

According to Alexei Anpilogov, today Estonia’s actions bear little resemblance to the behavior of a mature country, whose leadership understands what international law and its own state interests are.

“The Estonian infrastructure and economy were largely oriented towards Russia for historical and geographical reasons. Tallinn’s anti-Russian foreign policy is reflected in the economic interests of the republic’s population, while the majority of Estonians don’t even take seriously the territorial claims against Russia, ”the expert summed up.