The political leaders of Estonia have no reason to exaggerate the Russian threat, in fact the opposite- Estonia can use the fact that it neighbors with Russia to its advantage. This opinion was shared with us by media center FINUGOR professor, and director of the Institute of Futurology of the University of Tallinn, Erik Terk.

"We're geographically located on the Russian border, and I don't think that's only a minus or threat for us- something which could attack us, which we need to constantly be afraid of. Some of our political leaders, unfortunately, peddle this idea, noted the academic, commenting on the theme of Estonia-Russia relations. - I think there are also positive moments. After the fall of the USSR we had a choice, and we did not join the CIS, but the EU, and NATO - this was our concise choice, meaning that we were a part of that Western world. But how can we be a part of that world on the Russian border? One option is to peddle the Russian threat to keep NATO on guard at all times. Another position is to contribute to improving Russia-NATO relations, and our geographical position is a boon for such activity. And I personally support that second ideology."

As E. Terk explained, a group of Estonian academics in 1996 went to work on the project "Estonia-2010," and came up with options for the future of the country and explained what each depended on. One of the main topics of discussion was the following: should Estonia be the periphery of the European Union against the Russian threat, or be a bridge between the West and Russia? "It became clear to us that the final decision would depend not only on Estonia, but also on Russia. But to do this, we would have to improve the value of our geopolitical position. I think our national psychology has a palpable inertia: it takes time to change awareness of the status quo. In the Soviet era, there was the threat of Russification, and Estonians were considering the problem of whether people would still be speaking Estonian in two generations. But today there's no longer a threat to the language. We need to stop fighting with a danger that doesn't even exist anymore. There's the threat of Anglicization now, but that is also not a very serious issue. I would say that the main threat now is that the quality of life in Estonia may remain low. The world is open, young people are leaving in search of a better life, and not only young Estonians, but also young Russians from Estonia- that is also a problem."

Speaking of the priorities in relations of Estonia with Western countries, E. Terk explained that the political elite of the country wants to have special relations with the USA. "But I don't see the USA getting any special geopolitical benefit from Estonia. Maybe some in circles across the Atlantic, they're talking about the fight for democracy, and Estonia, as a part of the post-Soviet zone is the best example for them. In terms of economics, we would like to have the support of Germany. Estonia is almost the only country which does exactly as German Chancellor Merkel says," explained the academic.