Pekka KallioniemiIn today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce an #Estonian lawyer, social activist, politician, and useful idiot for the #Kremlin, Varro #Vooglaid. He’s best-known for promoting pro-Kremlin viewpoints under the guise of “traditional family values.”
1/20
#Vooglaid has an academic background, which usually gives people plenty of credibility in the eyes of the #Kremlin. Most of his academic career was spent at the University of Tartu, but he was also a researcher between 2007 and 2011 at the University of #Helsinki.
2/20
Varro is likely the most influential vatnik in #Estonia. His academic credentials provide him credibility, while his religious image appeals to “traditionalists” - many of whom oddly admire #Russia and its imperialistic nature.
3/20
In 2011, Varro established the Foundation for the Protection of Family and Tradition (#SAPTK), with an ideology allegedly “based on #Christian teaching,” basically opposing #Estonian progressive legislation (“Kooseluseadus”) which allowed same sex marriage.
4/20
As the chairman of the board of #SAPTK, Vooglaid is no stranger to pushing narratives that align with #Kremlin interests. His main channel for #propaganda is Objektiiv - a media outlet run by SAPTK. Basically, it’s like any other “independent” fake news blog out there.
5/20
Objektiiv pushes anti-#NATO, anti-#EU, and pro-“traditional values” messaging fully aligned with #Moscow’s interests. For example, there’s plenty of attacks against Klaus Schwab from the World Economic Forum, and von der Leyen from the EU Commission.
6/20
#Objektiiv’s narratives come wrapped in cozy conservative packaging promoting family, faith, sovereignty. But as you scratch the surface, you’ll quickly notice that it’s a soft glove covering the iron fist of #Russian-style #authoritarianism.
7/20
In 2023, #Vooglaid was elected as an independent candidate to the Riigikogu on EKRE’s list. He’s been publicly advocating for #Estonia to “improve” ties with #Russia. His main go-to line is “we must not irritate Russia, or else it will #attack.”
8/20
In Varro’s delusional world, the 2014 #Euromaidan protests were part of the “color revolution” series “organized by the #CIA.” He also promoted a bizarre, unsourced story claiming that Turkey and former Ukrainian president #Poroshenko attempted to take #Crimea “with #Jihad.”
9/20
Another gem from #Varro: #NATO forces are more dangerous to #Estonia than what they might fear from #Russia. He’s also criticized Estonia’s support for #Ukraine, claiming military aid depletes defense and escalates tensions.
10/20
Vooglaid’s #SAPTK is loosely connected to #Russian “conservative” organizations like Konstantin Malofeev’s and Vladimir #Yakunin’s Congress of World Familes. No financial ties between the two have been confirmed, but this wouldn’t be the first club these #oligarchs support.
11/20
#Vooglaid also has an unhealthy, borderline romantic fascination with Putin. For example in 2017, he shared to his followers a message claiming that “President #Putin presented orders of parental honor to large families.”
12/20
In 2018 he praised #Putin again—“#Russians are building their self-determination on a much more permanent basis.” He's also praised #Lavrov & other Russian politicians as more capable than #Estonian ones.
Naturally, he denied the invasion would happen in 2022.
13/20
During #COVID mandates, Varro admired the Russian policy over #Estonian, and suggested that if #Russia’s policy was better and more freedom loving and with less restrictions he would rather live under #Russian rule. Yet, he’s still trying to backpedal from this statement.
14/20
For #Varro, the reason for Russian #invasion (he previously denied would even happen) was clear - it was of course that pesky #NATO for daring to accept countries begging to join, afraid #Russia would invade them again! And as always, there’s zero blame on Russia.
15/20
#Vooglaid is ready to throw #Estonia under the bus in order to get some good boy points from the #Kremlin. For example, after the #Ukrainian drone assault against Pskov airbase, Russian propaganda claimed the #drones came from Estonia. Varro didn’t rule this out.
16/20
#Varro doesn’t hide his admiration for other #dictators either. He’s praised Assad, denied the #Syrian chemical attacks, and even edited an interview with #Assad himself. He’s also quoted biased Russian outlets like the New East Outlook.
17/20
He’s backed legislation like #Russia’s “foreign agents” law. #Varro questioned criticism of such laws, hinting they “could be beneficial.” I think we all already know who benefits from them, and why they were so aggressively pushed by the #Kremlin in Russia & #Georgia.
18/20
Back in 2018, #Varro strongly opposed the #sanctions imposed against #Russia after the #Skripal poisonings. He said the sanctions were set “without ensuring whether the accusations under which #sanctions are being applied are true.”
19/20
To conclude,Varro is a classic “traditionalist” #vatnik promoting the #Kremlin under the guise of family values- you know, “won’t someone think of the children?” type of approach. His academic background makes him a valuable asset for #Moscow & the pro-Kremlin bloc in #Estonia.
20/20
The 2nd edition of “Vatnik Soup — The Ultimate Guide to Russian #Disinformation” is officially out!
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