Estonia’s Chancellor of Justice, Ülle Madise, has asked the Supreme Court to declare the country’s new car tax unconstitutional, ERR reports. Madise argued that current legislation was in conflict with the Constitution as it did not allow refunding the motor vehicle registration fee in exceptional cases, such as when the vehicle was stolen, destroyed, or…
Newly released documents connected to the convicted US human trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein, include numerous mentions related to the Baltic States. Several documents refer to travel arrangements to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, Estonian World reports. Many messages refer, often in sexualised context, to women that Epstein or his associates had met in the Baltic States. Latvia…
Power plants in Estonia generated 3,619 GWh of electricity from renewable sources in 2025, which was up 7% from 2024, according to transmission system operator Elering, ERR reports. Renewable energy accounted for 68% of total electricity production and covered 41% of total electricity consumption in 2025. Electricity production from wind power amounted to 1,324 GWh…
Gross domestic expenditure on research and development (R&D) in relation to GDP in the Baltic States was highest in Estonia in 2024, according to Eurostat data, LSM reports. R&D spending amounted to 1.99% of GDP in Estonia in 2024, which was up from 1.41% in 2014. Meanwhile, R&D expenditure stood at 1.04% (1.03%) of GDP…
The Estonian government is still considering countermeasures in response to an incursion of Russian border guards into Estonian territory in December 2025, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stated, ERR reports. Russia continues to deny the illegal intrusion at the Vasknarva breakwater, ERR reports. Possible measures under discussion include closing individual border crossing points or applying…
The defence ministers of the three Baltic States have signed a letter of intent on establishing a Baltic Military Mobility Area, LSM reports. The aim is to standardise border crossing procedures, coordinate the movement of military cargo, and ensure operational information exchange. Furthermore, the Baltic allies will work to align their military movement procedures with…
Finnish police have arrested two crew members of a cargo ship suspected of severing Finnish telecommunications operator Elisa’s undersea data cable in the Gulf of Finland, YLE reports. In addition, two more crew members were issued with travel bans. Three informed sources told Helsingin Sanomat that there was no indication of Russian involvement in the…
Police in Finland have detained a cargo ship and its crew suspected of breaking two undersea data cables in Estonia’s exclusive economic zone in the Gulf of Finland, ERR reports. Finnish telecommunications operator Elisa detected a fault in its data cable in the early morning hours of 31 December 2025. Estonia’s Ministry of Justice and…
The foreign ministers of the three Baltic States and Finland expressed solidarity with Denmark and Greenland after US President Donald Trump repeated his claim that the US needed to annex Greenland, ERR reports. Earlier, Trump appointed Louisiana governor Jeff Landry as US special envoy to Greenland. Landry stated that he would work to make Greenland…
