The signing of the Tartu Peace Treaty.

Today 90 years ago Russia agreed to renounce in perpetuity all rights to the territory and sovereignty of the Republic of Estonia. On the 2nd February, 1918, the Tartu Peace Treaty between Soviet Russia and the Republic of Estonia was signed.

The Tartu Peace Treaty ended the Estonian War of Independence that lasted from 1918 to 1920. It is one of the two wars in the entire history that Russia has ever lost.

The terms of the treaty stated that “Russia unreservedly recognises” the independence of Republic of Estonia de jure and renounced in perpetuity all rights to the territory of Estonia.

The treaty also established the border between Estonia and Russia, affirmed the right of Estonian people to return to Estonia and Russian people to return to Russia and required that Estonian movable property evacuated to Russia in the World War I be returned to Estonia. Russia also agreed to absolve all debt from Tsarist times and to pay Estonia 15 million gold rubles, a proportional share from gold reserves of former Russian Empire. Additionally, Russia agreed to grant concessions to exploit one million hectares of Russian forest land and to build a railway line from the Estonian border to Moscow. In return, Estonia undertook to allow the RSFSR to build a free port at Tallinn or some other harbour and to erect a power station on the Narva River.

The treaty was signed by Jaan Poska on Estonian side and Adolf Joffe for the Soviet Russia as well as by other representatives of both parties.

The tragedy of the Tartu Peace Treaty is, however, that after the Soviet Union occupied Estonia in 1941, they refused to acknowledge the treaty entirely. Not only they illegally occupied this tiny northern European country – contrary to the terms of the peace treaty – they also continued to dismiss it after the collapse of the Soviet Union and Estonia regaining its independence. The fact that all legal experts say that the Treaty is valid and has always been valid and will always been valid means nothing to Russia and therefore they refuse to recognise it to this date.

When the Soviet Union occupied Estonia, they also annexed parts of its territory. And when the occupation ended, Russia refused to return the stolen territory. After 14 years of on and off negotiations, Estonia conceded the territory to Russia and in May 2005, the two countries signed the border treaty.

However, when ratifying the new border treaty in Estonian parliament later the same year, the parliament added a reference to the 1920 border treaty to the ratification law (not the border treaty). After that, Russia retracted its signature from the new border treaty and to this day, Estonia remains the only European Union member state bordering Russia that doesn’t have a border agreement with Russia.

So, the sad fact is, Estonia and Russia have a border treaty from 1920, but Russia constantly refuses to recognise it and invents new ways how to worsen the relations between the two countries. Many left-wing politicians in and outside Estonia have said that it’s Estonia who refuses to have good relations with Russia, but the fact is, no one can have good relations with Russia who Russia doesn’t want to have them. It’s Russia’s call, and only Russia’s call. Others can try, but if Russia doesn’t want, there won’t be any good relations.

The positive part is, Estonia doesn’t need a border treaty with Russia. Estonia must keep its independence and the sovereignty of its territory, Estonia must cherish its nation and care about them, not try to be liked by Russia for any price. Estonia doesn’t need a border treaty, because legally, it already has one. Too bad that one party doesn’t recognise it, but, legally speaking, who gives a fuck?

So, legally Russia is still occupying parts of Estonia. Estonian citizens cannot go to some of the territories specified in the Tartu Peace Treaty, because Russia won’t let them. And they refuse to agree on a new peace treaty despite Estonian concession. The occupation can end only when Russia recognises Tartu Peace Treaty, or is willing to sign and ratify a new one. Russia refuses to do either.

Russia doesn’t want the border treaty nor good relations between the two countries. Whose problem that really is? I say it’s Russia’s.

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