Estonia’s response was simple: a huge poster was placed on the Estonian side depicting Russian President Vladimir Putin as a war criminal. According to Estonian authorities, only a few hundred people gathered to watch the Russian propaganda, while local police stood guard.
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Since the Russian annexation of Crimea in 2014, analysts and experts have spoken of the risk of something similar happening there – much to the chagrin of the inhabitants, but also leading to growing unrest.
Article 5 NATO
However, this discomfort is more widely shared. If Russian troops were ever to cross the river to take the city, it would trigger NATO Article 5, forcing all 30 other NATO countries, including the US, to come and fight in Estonia’s defense.