BACKGROUND: Baits and wars of words
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By Kaija Virta in Riga
The commemoration of the 9th of May has turned into a hot-tempered tactical game between Russia and the Baltic States, and especially between Russia and Latvia. It has led to an escalation in the exchange of words among leaders of the countries.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has invited a large group of state leaders to Moscow on May 9th, when the Russians traditionally celebrate the end of the Second World War. In Western Europe, the day of the end of the war is celebrated on May 8th, VE-Day.
The presidents of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia discussed the issue of the invitation in November, but they were not able to come up with any joint statement.
At the same time, 101 Members of the European Parliament called on the leaders of the EU countries to take into consideration, that the event planned for Moscow would imply an "acceptance of the crimes of totalitarian communism". The signatories included Finnish MEPs Ville Itälä (Nat. Coalition Party), Henrik Lax (Swedish People's Party), Alexander Stubb (National Coalition Party), and Ari Vatanen, a Finnish national who represents France in the European Parliament.
Russia has offered to sign border treaties with Latvia and Estonia, which have been on hold for years, if the presidents of the countries come to Moscow. Lithuania and Russia have already signed the treaties.
In early January, Latvian President Vaira Vike-Freiberga announced her decision to go to the Moscow celebrations. She said that she does not want to link the trip with the border treaty, and has suggested that the treaty should be signed already before that, and that merely the ratifying documents should be exchanged in Moscow.
Last month Russia offered Latvia and Estonia a common declaration concerning bilateral relations, which would be issued at the presidential level in Moscow in May.
Leaders of Latvia and Estonia have rejected the draft declaration. Vike-Freiberga said in the Estonian newspaper Postimees that if such a declaration were issued, it should clearly denounce the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact of 1939, which led to the occupation of the Baltic States.
Estonian President Arnold Rüütel briefly met Putin in Moscow last month, and was given the impression that Putin had expressed willingness to denounce the 1939 treaty. Russia explained later that it might consider a historical reassessment of the treaty, but not a legal condemnation.
The war of words between Latvia and Russia seems to be growing more intense. Russia's Foreign Ministry accused Vike-Freiberga of having a "derisive and insulting attitude", after she had spoken in an interview about Russians, who "on the 9th of May put a vobla [salt fish] on a newspaper, drink vodka, and sing chastushkas [sleigh songs], and remember how they heroically took over the Baltic States".
The Latvian President said that she suspects that Russia might not grant her a visa to visit Moscow.
Helsingin Sanomat / First published in print 11.2.2005
More on this subject:
 Latvian President wants EU stand on Moscow WW2 commemoration
KAIJA VIRTA / Helsingin Sanomat
kaija.virta@hs.fi
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