we don't apply the best i for men, yes. mouth bouts. it's a technical symbol. so that's one of many reasons why we will not be deaf diamant there. thank you very much for joining us on the w news. and that's it from me and the news team for now don't go away. kind of coming up next d w documentary looks at relations between russia and the baltic states. and remember, that's always a website has a lot more names on that d, w dot com. i'm gab elsis in berlin for me on the team. thanks for watching the green and then you feel worried about the planet? me too. i'm neil. host of the on the green fence post and to me it's clear. we need to change. join me for deep dive into the green transformation for me, for you,

for the plant ah, a along the eastern shores of the baltic sea lithuania, lot fia and estonia, the baltic states in o. for half a century, they belong to the soviet union. a forced brotherhood with, with the singing revolution of 1990. the bolts regained their independence.

to day, they are russia's neighbors. but russia's war on ukraine has rekindled old beers. many here wonder, are we next? ah ah, our journey through the baltics begins in the north east in the estonian city of norfolk, a border city, where nato and the you meet russia. ah, less than 300 meters separate, the 13th century estonian fortress hammons festa from the russian fortress. yvonne

garad no i li i am on frank wild bus nava is located where year begins and is the most russian speaking city. and while european union, our population is 9 go 6 percent ration speaking with only 4 percent speak, estonian hippa said miss one of some 2000 estonians in nava. i got 3 right. belongs to that. 4 per cent. they did not, but she is also the city's mayor home to some 55000 people to day, nor ever has seen its share of upheaval. originally an estonian city, by the end of world war 2, it was deserted and almost completely destroyed. the red army had driven out the

german van mocked and with it most of nervous inhabitants. soviet era buildings and apartment blocks make up most of the city to day. many who live in nava moved here during soviet times as well. would i think, would ann arbor, like a born, actually never was born in new in 1945 or it's, it was the year one for nerve out of neu, mystical new people came at the beginning. more from the border region than from the ural region. for neurology, lighter. one of our i nicholas and dana street, that fear larva was a shiny industrial city vintage. the women wore beautiful dresses of fee. there was a lot of caviar and sausage, noisy, milk, milk. it was a nice life is what it wasn't important that it was a stony and it was just a town. it could have been anywhere. and then quite unexpectedly in august 1991, the state became independent. that was a shock. it's by choke. in the soviet era nava and yvonne

garad were twin cities the bridge that connects them is still called the bridge of friendship. but today, the cities exist in 2 very different political systems. with a stony as independence in 1991. a guarded border went up since 2004, when a stoney at joined the european union. it has also served as an external border for the e. u. a 2nd border crossing is reserved for pedestrians every day, commuters between the 2 cities and systems around half of nervous, ethnically, russian residents are not estonian citizens. they have a russian passports, or the so called grey passport, which identifies them as stateless, but allows them to walk easily without a visa, between russia and europe. mainly people who make the crossing do it to go shopping

with me for mission with other solvable world. once a month we go there to buy alcohol cigarettes or just now we were asked if we were carrying salt issue. i asked if that was forbidden the board a god said no, just that now every one brings salt, salt and soda, fruitful nissan. of elk grove m. netcom booked for you while you buy there. she vodka, cigarettes, salt, sugar cakes, chocolate confectionery, could the car was already waiting, filled with little salt is practically sold out in the supermarkets of norma. people are stocking up. who knows it. bell roost will stop exporting salt to estonia. in addition to worrying about empty store shelves, russian residents say they fear discrimination, mayor country reich has invited the public for a discussion with the minister of justice in the city hall. oh,

yes it by. as stoney a welcomes and cares for ukrainians who have fled the war for some russians and nava. this is a sore spot. they say it makes them feel like 2nd class citizens. what is putin's war doing to estonia? isn't uniting or dividing people here as to what's the worst one with these days. we hear calls from various ministers, but also from the president warning against denigrating or suspecting the russian population in estonia. i'm here with me from there, but this is exactly what we're experiencing. in the media, and at the same time i see how the ukrainian side is reported and refugees are taken care of. and for me, a completely justified question arises,

what has the estonian state done in all these years? with regard to the russians who were born here and live here. yes, i am. i don't know if there is anyone here among us who has experienced the 2nd world war, then i experienced it for me. the war began when i was 9 years old. i was with my grandmother, take him, i knew she said to me, go run home quickly. the war has begun. children have to be with their parents now . and i ran 3 kilometers to my parents house. why am i telling you this yesterday? the war is a terrible thing. and for us now, there is only one thing to do with gentle preventive blood bath in ukraine, where you. ok, you lou

for the russian president vladimir putin. the dissolution of the ussr was the greatest tragedy of the 20th century. and according to russian state television, today's neighbouring baltic countries represent a fascist threat v. as in mid click on ale, we are a member of the evening and of nieto. article 5 is our protection. our future are guaranteed of it by the are free down at a so called when those that are guarantee ones that are fry height. the base of the estonian defense league, or kite sell it in. norwood with members of estonia as volunteer army are returning

from training once or twice a month. they give up their free time for their homeland. the estonian defense leave was founded in 1918 when estonia 1st gained its independence . the kites till it was band. during the soviet period, then re emerged in 1990 in 2015. alexander morsa young co joined the group. he is russian born in norfolk for those the people will be invoked soon, where he's local, move, euros of oral europe rose from your will. joining was my reaction to the annexation of crimea. the 1st thing my acquaintances asked me was whether this meant that i would be ready to shoot at russians, ordered the last many of my friends, because i suggest mall guard would probably consider me a traitor to the russian people and yours look good. but let me put it this way

that the someone comes here with weapons in his hands, no matter who he is and he is an enemy. it doesn't matter what language he speaks. criminals have no nationality. do you understand what mercy we live here? and these are our borders calling you for the estonia does not invade any one to do so i was born here. this is my homeland, or the have to defend that from you. closer, 43. the games will almost convertible schuler sir blash throw up on the part when ukraine was invaded on february 24th. so i called my mother and said, if the state of estonia wants me to go to ukraine to defend it, i will go. my mother is ukrainian, she is from odessa sooner she said to me, were you craniums are now getting what they deserve. i was stunned. i can't talk to my parents about this issue anymore and they will not understand me. they think that bruton is doing everything right. no more for them to. i'm a traitor room ever since i joined the kite skeleton you rascal will go to douglasville for buford city. alexander's parents were staunch communists.

his father helped to build the nuclear power plant in sure noble with the collapse of the soviet union. they like many russians and nava lost the country they had identified with now they live in europe. but what does that mean? a the government to yet got a letter that you went into any with the government could what happened in crimea or don bass also happened to norma. could it be split by force from estonia? since the annexation of crimea and 2014 relations between estonians and russians, living in estonia have deteriorated. a certain level of tolerance had been painstakingly achieved. now it's given way to old cliches,

long ago, evil russians and nationalist estonians from the kite. so it base alexander most a yankee go straight to the cities theater, where he works as a stage head of drama. alexander is both russian and estonian at heart. but at 48, he's too old for the young republic. too old for the estonian language, which he never learned. a stateless person with a gray passport. because if you don't speak estonian, you can't be an estonians citizen or hold public office the agreement, but very good. you the wish you was doing you. if the russian people who live here a really given the feeling that they are also at home here than russia will have no

argument to protect their citizens in estonia than putin will not be able to mobilize people who are ready to provoke or support to russian invasion when you're civilities where you grow. william a double of 4 or more born. you should go crossing. i understand that a stone is citizens suffered a lot from the soviet union's violence of that or what we all come from that time. we all want to be in europe premium, the new share, very similar values are. the only difference is, is that we talk about these values and different languages. but if i have to redeem myself in every conversation, for something i didn't do, it doesn't create a could dialogue in new york. if that goes on, then a line will always be there between new russians and we estonians rosky. this is not how it should be. i can go to them. oh, oh, i'm alive at diamond dagenham. our next destination is taught to in south eastern

estonia. i don't know. tar 2 is the oldest city in the baltics 1st mentioned in the year 1030. and the 2nd largest in estonia. for centuries it was under foreign rule. the german knights of the order arrived in the 13th century, followed by ivan the terrible than the swedes. in 1941, the german van marked occupied the city. in 1944, the red army took over and stayed for almost half a century. how do you rebuild the country after 50 years of imposed totality? marian rule as stony had looked to its youth and digitization.

since 2000, the estonian constitution has guaranteed it citizens access to the internet. free. why fi is ubiquitous here. has tonia is considered a digital pioneer in europe at the university of ta to the delta centers. modern building is an epicenter of digital progress students, researchers, developers, and entrepreneurs work here under one roof. one person who was a student here, and tar 2 is now considered something of a national hero in estonia, at least by the younger generation. the programmer ot heinlein, develop the telephony software, skype in 2003. a pioneering act that still inspires many young estonians with since then, digitization has become an important economic driver. now,

estonia is home to over $400.00 start up companies. among them fo, 2 class founded by kristen tom at 30 years old. he's always lived in an independent estonia. good luck, i'm. you know, when i'm a, you know, when i want him with in for little, i can finish for the city. it when i've only ever known estonia as a free country, and that's a piece of luck. my parents and grandparents didn't have obama on today. they told me how everything was nationalized back then. there was no free enterprise dollars . i mean, i've seen things like that in some of the countries i've traveled to countries that are not democratic. all that are under the influence of russia. your, i mean about you can see it in their gross national product. but also just on the streets where you can see how people are doing the difference between these countries in estonia today,

it's light years that i with an elaborate on that we've done our business take, wasn't than i do business with amazon. in estonia, internet access is standard in schools. first graders learned to program christ and tom and his team have developed a computer game for learning using virtual reality headsets to they want to make lessons into an adventure. what is rico finance and the who to class is an educational game that we developed for chemistry and physics classes for 8th and 9th graders south. and that again, is it students learn about complicated topics using virtual reality laboratories and laboratory facilities at schools are expensive in this virtual lab. on the other hand, you can repeat an experiment a 100 times,

try it again and again and learn from your mistakes in the war in ukraine is not virtual while it's all to real and that my mind with rigorous the medical me . so is the question of what to do about it. no. renewal on some of the near taylor immigration, the war has affected my life so much that yesterday i attended my 1st volunteer army informational sessions. i'm going to join the defense lake. we've got a navy, ne, all i which with her as the business good may be our international partners, no longer trust us because we live close to the russian border. good luck on, but we belong to nato. everything is good here. i'm not worried about how company, man, what article now us any nice if our car will to less if air was her to an odella. the see who had me, christian tom doesn't have to worry about finding new recruits for his company either. the software developers of the future are right next door. they study just

across the courtyard in the delta center, they know not only even after their 1st semesters, students are hired by start up companies. and by the time they're 20 or 25, they're earning twice as much as their parents. he they, they sca lee, they'd been away from tar to. we travel further south along the russian and bellow russian borders dug up is, is the 2nd largest city in lafayette, after riga, ringed in soviet times by machine building factories and a chemical plant. in the 1990 s, many of these factories had to close. one of the most important employers today is the locomotive repair works, founded in 1866 as

a repair facility for the st. petersburg, warsaw, railroad line. the factory boomed under the soviets. they expanded, adding a house of culture, a pioneer camp, vacation homes, and a training center for the 4000 people who worked here with the collapse of the soviet union. the plant shrank. today. it only has $640.00 employees assessment. whether we think of it, he is russian, and a citizen of lafayette yevgeny. bog donna was born and raised in dog appeals. he trained as an engineer in riga. he's been working in the locomotive factory for 2 and a half years. on a resume, eva has been with the company for 29 years. she is bell russian and has a russian passport. she is happy with that

much of some senior lot that we live in latvia. so we also feel like latvians as the how do we speak latvian and ration quite often and i'd love to have a more motivator. what is the with the city belonged sometimes to one state sometimes to another as a result, different nationalities live here. i think that it is people from the outside who tried to make a conflict out of it, to drive a wedge between us. like now persevere, which we, ordinary people don't care whether we are real latvians or real russians. we don't want any problems. we have to hold on to our jobs with elizabeth so we can live here half decently to sort of an air bullshit. microphone. historically dog of pills has always been a rather russian city. now more and more people, especially the young speak latvian. i'm a latvian citizen at here in the company. we speak russian. it's still our everyday language. i have no problem with it. so i'm never close the can problem

the russian language is common here. so to was russian television, but not any more. russian television channels are now blocked in all baltic countries abject ulysses. yesterday you followed without knowing that it was that i think there can be no objectivity for us like this. not from one side or from the other. we can't influence the situation anyway. also, we have our own thoughts about what we see that and good. we stand outside politics with niger to somebody 0. if you're the village window moving your body. yes. yes, this is what you're doing. it again is the blog. i think it's bad that the tv channels have been blocked. after all, there has to be another opinion. if what western mass media report is true or was it, why does the russian media have to be blocked? is something been hidden from a snatch of? for me it is quite clear propaganda comes from both sides regardless of my sit on

a little whisper. yes, 5050 lives emotional where you could choose for yourself if you could hear and see both sides. you could probably, there is no neutral mass media either. one is either for one side or for the other . that is why it is absolutely wrong to pound the channels on there. after all, not only the political channels were blocked, but it also entertainment and sports channel. so yes, what the grannies watch. keith is, but i also don't understand why russian and bella, russian athletes were barred from the paralympics. why do they have to suffer from politics? i'm also strictly against at sports have nothing to do with politics. the war is also impacting the plant repair orders come mainly from russia and ukraine. they have disappeared overnight. and before the russian attack, ukraine placed a major order. now the payment of 9000000 euros is outstanding. will it come late or not at all?

the planters asked or government assistance for employees, the situation feels threatening. you can feel it. you feel it. we felt it immediately mature was the situation heated up quickly? i from one day to the next one. when you're good. there is a blow. several diesel locomotives that were supposed to come to his from ukraine and russia were stopped and turned round. it's much of our markets depends on these 2 countries in the book as of yesterday and we live on the periphery of these countries. what happens there affects us here to not just our business, which will also affect other industries. you can see how some people are starting to panic. you only have to look in the stores or at the prices at gas stations to see how hysteria as mounting should not able to pull the lead whistles at. closing the plant would be a disaster or it's $640.00 employees the city to would lose an important source of

tax revenue. and people would start to move away to places where there is more work . estonia or elsewhere in europe. from dug up is we crossed the border into lithuania, home to the cities of vilnius and vista. it is the westernmost of the baltic countries. lithuania is sandwiched between bell roost to the east and the russian enclave of colleen and brought to the west. our next destination is vilnius. with the capital welcomes us with skyscrapers a little like new york or frankfort. the cities modern business center is attribute to lithuanian economic rise and prosperity

bud vilnius is well known and loved for its historical architecture because of its many churches. vilnius is called the rome of the north since 1994, the old town has been a unesco world heritage site. here, buildings and gothic renaissance and lithuanian baroque style offer a stark contrast to the glass towers just across the nearest vilnius has a new street. the street of ukrainian heroes. the sign went up a few days after the war began a

small alley in the west of the city. it leads directly to the russian embassy in the park, across the way. blue and yellow ribbons waved from the trees. at the end of february, thousands of people stood here with home made banners protesting against the war. many lithuanians compare their country to west berlin during the cold war. and they fear it's only a matter of time before putin decides to take back the former soviet republics and the baltics as well. if ukraine falls to day, hootin will be on our doorstep to morrow, declared president ketani. now seda, the ministry of national defense is flying the flag of ukraine next to the lithuanian flag.

defiant letters at the entrance, remind passers by maced nato. we are nato shock over the war and ukraine. and a resurgent fear of the russians has turned the city into a blue and yellow sea of solidarity. ah, ah ah, ah. with every day for refugees from ukraine arrive in vilnius in front of the official

registration center, a private initiative has set up a stand. here, individual donations are distributed for those with strollers that barbie dolls, clothes, cosmetics, object appropriate for there is one of the helpers, is judea, padaya that's a little at one. if the indians want to help people probably feel very connected, calling crane, it has always been like that of almost every one knows someone in ukraine, of course. and this is also our history. after all, we used to be one country, a fee of our i love the there from incidence. if you ever is these document gun system designed to bring the lot idea of initiative is to bring people certain things that they don't get from the state that they get basic packages from what they need to survive. so

we wanted to give them some little thing of climate cards like had time for girls hand cream cream, do my women tell us they haven't used hand cream for weeks and their hands are really rough and the henderson saw that we had a table full of cosmetics form and after 10 minutes it was all gone. that's just nice month month. you feel like you, randy, give people a little happiness for me. ok, look if ye, adria padaya is 36, an anti trust lawyer. she studied and brahman and worked in a major law firm in dusseldorf, national guard. so by michigan avenue, a, germany and the germans hatch was a wonderful me guys. i didn't even really compare them. germany and death away near lithuania was my life in germany was another well to another planet. i also didn't think that the life i saw in gemini could ever become a reality. in lithuania, those were 2 different wells for me at that time i've seen of elk for these dollars

. does lithuania truly belong to europe? does europe really stand behind lithuania? how secure can lithuanians feel with russia and bell ruse for neighbors? these are the questions people in vilnius are now asking themselves when russia attacked ukraine in february, this year, the government here declared a state of emergency basements were converted into shelters. the adria by diana had sleepless nights. she wondered whether she should leave the country as soon as possible with her husband po, villas, and their 2 children on a mayor and hare coos. when banged them, the knob on the fun comes out long bones fun. people think it's thumbs full that they can fool here. tomorrow i was checking the airlines every morning looking for flight. why should we go? should we go now? or not yet? how to put my mom?

my husband's father lives in tennessee reef. the south of that might be a destination for us, but the flights rural gone immediately. it was also 10 reese tourists season and i have friends in germany, iceland, they all offered me apartments. it took a few days to calm down a bit, among the case of bisons, this poor hut for her, the worn ukraine is as close as a phone call to her relatives and keith. her uncle lives there with his wife and 2 children. let do one in kya one doesn't among the aston taco bell, they live in ki, answered saba, and left on the 1st day for paula tarver. we're the grandparents liver, our mom. but my uncle stayed in ki, if he is waiting for the russian army settlement as a liberator. unfortunately, he is lithuanian. but he never lived in the independent state of lithuania,

nab him to slunk of what he was in the russian army. he believes that the russian army is the best deal and that all this is good, thus to amid the best it is full of went honestly that he was always on boot inside outside to play. so this is also a conflict within our family for media. unlike estonia and lafayette, with their relatively large russian populations in lithuania, only about 5 percent of the population is russian. most russians left lithuania with the withdrawal of the red army. to day russia and lithuania our neighbors. are they also enemies? then one delmonte not available, woke up this visit to chip victor, sir, who house us was cause cause we've got the in the 1st days of the war, i was very angry because i thought i took it all very personally that i really thought every russian was guilty,

i'm thinking that the last one ticket could ever monastery it more, give me more. even our babysitter is russian seems to reduce cost. we thought about whether to do without her, as the saying goes away, maybe it's not good to have the enemy in your own house. i'll place to go here, i will say, or to get a lot of sa, colbert. they've been on the number. what ox even princess could go would not life, but then we realized that this is nonsense, that people have lived here since birth. and even if they are russian, yes, they have lithuanian passports to mascot are. they're not the ones who approve that houston and his military actions and so back on. so we must not cross this line that in every russian you see only rushes war, a button and rushes people after all, themselves, hostage to their own government and yasser took place. and in my opinion, they can hardly do anything about it. manon norman, a shadow, only uppercase there. zen from dason dark. we grew up with this from the 1st day we were born from and take along with the thought that russia is be aggressive,

the occupier, and that it can come back at any time. you grow up with this thought that it can be bounced back again when appreciates, read all the more on that one enjoys this freedom all the more on for me that you also have this fear in the back of your mind, man at our image is asking him to come what he doing, and povey last are too young to have experienced soviet era. lithuania for the last was only 8 days old when the country broke away from the soviet union and regained its independence to day. they live here with their children. no differently than in western europe, but does the past still shape them?

okay, and that for on spending the plan, when people say, when you talk to friends of yet that in our country as something i probably inherited from the soviet times the flight zone shed sunk is klein. we have lower self esteem than people in the west. the ship we value ourselves less and be dang the city at was vinegar of absent than via for example, when applying for a job, thinking that many lithuanians also work at google. ok to look, we have many foreign companies. oh, you always assume you don't have the same chances as a frenchman relationship or in italian influence rosara? yes, i see no real nag balance austin aged here in vilnius. he don't really feel a longing for the old soviet era anywhere place. casa certain cultural values have been preserved among the older generation. after all these people spent most of

their lives in the social order of that time. oh yes, we, however, belonged to a generation that grew up in an independent lithuania. we don't mourn values that we don't know yet just we consider ourselves westerners because we have little in common with the east, with russia and the re yes. and that's alicia. the claim number to death audit vela love the song we are of course the little brothers and sisters of the eas manage. yeah, this is a gift for us. the fear in that it wasn't was then we want speed lol with the other countries by mc and we are still very young, so to speak or shy, but it means and not to of young thoughts, long of a desperate either thespian can. this'll going dick raska, not all, most not, nor noticed that because of all these integration into the e. u n's nato's. we can feel safe here with the master them. i'm convinced that they will protect our freedom, guaranteed we must also take care of ourselves on the out so that we can leave in

peace without children. my howard, ah, we have been travelling in the baltic states for 10 days every day, a day of war. ah, so historical versa, due to our last leg of the journey takes us to western lithuania, to the status, a village of 500 people on the border with the russian, ex clave of colleen and garage. ah, this is as far as we go. ah, ah! the village border is also the state border of lithuania. lying beyond it is the

colleen and broad region, once prussian, with clinic's back as its capital. after the 2nd world war, the area became soviet. after the fall of the soviet union, it became a russian ex clave surrounded by nato countries. poland and lithuania. on this homestead right next to the border fence, lives 78 year old janina lava chowsky, near her husband and 2 sons have died. one grand daughter lives in israel, another in london. you are nina lava, cha skinnier, has lived here since 1963, or did of our surety nebular needles to a vehicle or did about that and didn't even get my stayed leduvo little room. at that time. we were part of the soviet union, ve, i worked over there and a children's holiday camp. i was responsible for distributing food oboski. i worked as a cook, as the cleaner. i did everything that was necessary, is that a bow lane lead to ashes just in at us?

ok. even when the border came, i still worked on the clinic grad side of good than the fence. went up. got it is almost impossible to get a job here in vista. this is in the past, it was different. there was a kindergarten post office at holly clinic, a cultural center. now there is nothing and a new warden you bull, but does bubble bullock again? nika lou ah, they did my good go go it of via t yes even look i am european look at viscous net about what kind of european but look at me, look at my house. there is no one to renovated to you. yeah my, there is no money for that either. just for the heating season mistake gives me 300 euros, but it costs 1000 euros. so i run up debts in the winter or then over the summer i

pay off the debt and in the fall, when i have to buy firewood again, i go back into debt because if i spend everything on firewood, there is nothing left over for, for local mouth, we are good to evaluate medic, us would. i get glazed today. get booked in . look, i've suppressed. no, good. oh joel. got the a do what they get ready? it yet. i got. what should i say? do you know that we have an independent lithuania? is good a database. now there is a sense. no, never, it would be better if it didn't exist. that does what done last at the little while yet did the way. yeah. i wish to not have cut out. nubians no, i can't say anything bad about the russians. good. now i couldn't even say half a bad word about them it bore get i bet. garcia lucas, you know,

got it. but this putin as follows. nonsense that nobody wants war. he didn't get a blow to associate notate of our job is so it gets like that. i don't judge you, don't your little boy. i never grew rotors, crow shoes, a ah, a pulse with the beginning of a story that moves us and takes us along for the ride. it's all about the perspective. culture information. this is neither you news and d, w. made for mines.

oh mm. making the headlights and what's behind them? dw news africa. the show faculty issues, shaping the continent. life is slowly getting back to normal. yeah. where on the street to give you enough reports on the inside. our correspondence is on the ground reporting from across the continent, all the french stuff, the mazda u. t. w. africa, every friday on d. w. a. ah

ah, ah, ah, ah . business d w. news line from berlin. the west condemns russian plans to hold referendums on annexing occupy ukrainian territories. pro russian separatist fe, they'll bring forward or days voting. the german chancellor calls them sham ballad saying the results will not be accepted. also coming up.