In this episode, our gaze is on a country on the front line against Russia: Estonia, which is the size of the Burgundy-Franche-Comté region and has 1.3 million inhabitants. The Republic of Estonia is quite young, since it was founded in 1918, before the Second World War made it undergoing a short Soviet time, then Nazi, then again Soviet until the dissolution of the USSR. For Estonians, the Russians are not brothers. And this is even less the case since the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine decided by Vladimir Putin.
Fervent supports of Ukrainians, Estonians do not want to suffer the same fate. For this, they currently strengthen their border: 600 bunkers must be built along the 300 kilometers shared with Russia. They spend a lot on their defense: around 3.4 % of their GDP today. But, above all, they can count on the solidarity of their European allies. More than 1,400 foreign soldiers are present as part of the advanced presence of NATO, including 350 French people from the Lynx mission.
If it is one of the smallest countries in Europe, Estonia is at the heart of continental geopolitical issues. His future is also ours. To talk about it, Clément Daniez receives Lembit Uibo, the Estonia Ambassador to France.
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This episode was written and presented by Clément Daniez and directed by Jules Krot.
Logo: Jérémy Cambour and Adrien Levieux
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To go further:
“The Russians always plan a new conflict”: the warning of Estonia to Europeans
Poland, Greece … how these European countries are already rearraaring
March 2026: Putin launched a special operation in Estonia