Baltics Warn Europe There’s No Going Back to Life With Russia
Some countries are doing business with Moscow, but Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania are maintaining their hard line.
A sign controls the flow of freight traffic entering from Russia at the border crossing in Luhamaa, Estonia.
Photographer: Carl Court/Getty Images
When the European Union imposed deep trade sanctions against Russia four years ago, Estonian timber producer Puidukoda had to quickly figure out how to replace over half of its supply of spruce and pine.
Over six stressful months, the firm pivoted westward, lining up 30 new suppliers from Scandinavia. Eventually, the trucks from Russia — carrying tens of thousands of tons of wood over Estonia’s eastern border — were replaced with ones crossing the sea on ferries from Finland and Sweden.