Main narratives:
- Baltic security concerns are irrelevant and laughable;
- The US does not care about the Baltic States.
Overview:
Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels have been vocal in their portrayal of recent political developments, particularly focusing on the Trump-Zelensky spat and Baltic States’ security concerns. In the aftermath of the fallout between the U.S. President and Ukraine’s leader, these channels celebrated the discord and relentlessly mocked the Baltic nations, dismissing their security issues as trivial and laughable.
Latvian professor’s call for a boycott of U.S. goods was covered extensively as irrational and laughable. Member of the Latvian Parliament Roslikovs mocked Latvian news channels for daring to claim that Trump is repeating the Kremlin’s propaganda, calling it “astonishing stupidity.” He stated that criticizing countries like the USA and Russia is “pure suicide” and ominously claimed that changes are coming. There were also similar, emotionally charged posts about events in Estonia. For instance, one post ridiculed Estonian intelligence’s concerns, joking that they caused “panic” in the USA and suggesting that Estonia was now a point of mockery in Washington. Another sarcastically encouraged Estonia to “declare war on Trump,” claiming that such a drastic move would be preferable to prolong “horror.”
Another narrative, which has been present since Trump was elected U.S. president, suggested a shift in U.S. policy towards Ukraine, with claims that U.S. embassies around the world were allegedly removing Ukrainian flags, alongside the removal of rainbow flags. This was framed as evidence of the U.S. withdrawing its support for Ukraine, further aligning the U.S. with Kremlin sympathies.
These posts collectively seek to undermine the security concerns of the Baltic States, positioning them as irrelevant or laughable. They aim to depict the U.S. as increasingly pro-Kremlin, casting doubt on its commitment to the region and portraying the Baltic nations’ security concerns as not only inconsequential but even self-destructive.
