Vana Andrus

As you may have noticed, there is always some kind of tension between the Russian Federation and the Estonian Republic.

Today, living piece of human garbage and Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said

“Latvia and Estonia are clearly stifling the Russian language, and the situation requires tight contacts between Russia and EU in solving that problem.”

Look, I have only been in Latvia for one day in my life. But in Estonia, no, the situation doesn't require tight contacts between the EU and Russia. Because Russia has no jurisdiction over the majority of Russian-speakers in Estonia. Some 6 percent of the 25 percent of Estonia's 1.3 million population that are of Russian heritage are indeed Russian citizens. Another 9 percent, or more, are citizens of the Estonian Republic. The remaining 9 percent have yet to decide which citizenship they wish to obtain.

That means that Russia only has the right to speak on behalf of those 6 percent that have decided that they will be Russian citizens and stay in Estonia. Everyone else is represented by the Estonian state. So, like, butt out, dicks.

More good news from the warm-hearted, fun-loving, Vodka-endorsing nation of invaders to the East came from Sergei Yastrzhembsky, aide to Putin, who said:

"Moscow has taken many steps to accommodate the interests of Tallinn and Riga. Now it is their turn to start the search for a way out of the stalemate,” Yastrzhembsky said. “Russia will be prepared to resume discussions, but only when it sees the readiness to reciprocate.”

In times like these, one may pine for some kind of hard-headed history professor to step up to the challenge and make Lavrov wish he'd never been born. But instead we have the man in the gray flannel suit, Estonian Prime Minsiter Andrus Ansip, who said in the past few weeks that Estonia 1) is giving up its claims to financial compensation from the RF, and 2) No apologies are necessary for murdering the entire Estonian government in 1940.

"I cannot speak for the future, but we have no claims today," he said. "No people, no country can live in the past. We should move on quickly rather than lay claims."

RIA Novosti quoted him as saying, followed by:

"We do not want Russia to apologize, because apologies should be sincere, and if not, then its better not to apologize at all."

How polite. Some people think that Estonia deserves a charismatic leader like Lennart Meri again. But maybe Ansip, who took over the reins from the cock-headed and clueless Juhan Parts after Res Publika crashed last March, is the right guy for the job.

His job isn't major economic reform. Although he is from the Reform Party, the party is actually the status quo party, with less shadowy connections than the most popular party - the Center Party - which is the party that promises much, but has yet to deliver.

What may make the Ansip government last until 2007, the time of the next scheduled parliamentary elections, could be Ansip's stern, emotionless, wholly unsexy demeanor afterall. Unlike the other politicos in Estland, he seems to be the least about himself. Maybe that can make his government succeed where the others have failed.