Latvia, Lithuania & Estonia

[Lancer]

Chock full of Rooskies. If they join NATO will the feel emboldened to throw the Russians out?

Erm, they're not in NATO yet are they? Too close to St Petersburg for comfort I'd guess...

Is the Russian mafia a problem for these knights of old?

Where is Saras anyway?

Any other Apolytoners from these baltic countries?

[spartak]

Poor troll.

[Chris 62]

Lancer, they were admitted to Nato.

[Solver]

We were invited to Nato and EU in late 2002, and will likely be there by 2004.

[Lancer]

Good! Our jump off point will move deep into the Rooskie heartland!

In 2004 Chris

Taz, why is this a troll to you?

[Sonic]

Solver is right.

Russian mafia is not a problem in Lithuania, it is often recognised as one of few former communist states where Russian mafia has almost no power.

I believe there are 3 Apolytoners from Baltic States:
2 from Lithuania (me (Sonic) and Saras)
1 from Latvia (Solver)
0 from Estonia

In Lithuania there are about 8% of "rooskies". Not so much, although I am not comfortable with them...

[Solver]

There is one more from Latvia, but he's not a frequent poster unlike Sonic, Saras and me.

There are lots of Russians in Latvia, though, and I got to say that Russia hates us.

[Lancer]

I would not feel comfortable with a population of invaders from the bad old days either. They forced their way in, can't you assist them on their way back out once NATO takes over?

[Solver]

That would make us a police state if we kicked them all out.

Right now though, the Russian population in Latvia is a political concern to me. I mean, we're going to have a referendum on joining the EU in September, and many Russians will most probably vote against it, which might doom our chances of joining EU.

[spartak]

Are not 51% of the population of Latvia actually Russian (although are non-citizens allowed to vote?)?

[Solver]

No, Russians are less than 50% now. But I can't actually call them a "minority".

Non-citizens aren't allowed to vote, but many Russians have gained citizenship in the last years.

[Dr Strangelove]

Does anyone here really think that NATO would approve of any member undertaking a mass expulsion of part of its population? I, for one, think that NATO would not approve. There was a considerable brouhaha in the 1970s when West Germany tried to send large numbers of guest workers home.

[Lancer]

Doc, screw the brouhaha, han't Bush tought you anything?

[Sonic]

Taz, from all former states only in Belarus the main nation is a minority I believe.

Percents of main nations and Russians in former Soviet countries (excluding Russia); stars (*) means that in a country Russian language is used in everyday bussines even by non-russians, two stars (**) means that the local language is almost non-existant anymore:

Armenia: 93%; 2%
Azerbaijan: 90%; 2.5%
Lithuania: 80.6%; 8.7%
Uzbekistan*: 80%; 5.5%
Turkmenistan*: 77%; 6.7%
Ukraine**: 73%; 22%
Georgia: 70.1%; 6.3%
Estonia: 65.3%; 28.1%
Tajikistan*: 64.9%; 3.5%
Moldova*: 64.5%; 13%
Latvia: 57.7%; 29.6%
Kazakhstan**: 53.4%; 30%
Kyrgystan**: 52.4%; 18%

[Sonic]

Dr Stranglelove is probably right, but I think that if country would be in key position than NATO would support it whatever crimesi t would do... However, position of Baltic States isn't so strategic.

I do agree however that Russians should be expelled from Lithuania (ones who moved here since 1940)...