Irish backstop can't be changed for Brexit deal - Estonian president

[Baerboxer]

9 minutes ago, Grouse said:

Because Estonia appreciates the importance of smaller member States in the EU being treated with respect.

 And as one of the many small countries that gets far more out of the EU than it contributes, it's position of "respect" is at the grace of others.

 

Without Germany and the UK contributions, the gravy train would be very thin. 

[Bullie]

6 hours ago, JAG said:

Perhaps someone should remind Her Excellency President Kaljulaid of Estonia about "Operation Cabrit", the ongoing deployment of a British Army battlegroup (some 900 soldiers with armoured vehicles) to Estonia as part (a very significant part) of the NATO effort to defend her country?

NATO has NOTHING to do with Brexit, my dear boy.

[Baerboxer]

6 hours ago, JAG said:

Perhaps someone should remind Her Excellency President Kaljulaid of Estonia about "Operation Cabrit", the ongoing deployment of a British Army battlegroup (some 900 soldiers with armoured vehicles) to Estonia as part (a very significant part) of the NATO effort to defend her country?

 

Indeed they should. And I wonder how much Estonia contributes NATO costs in doing this?

[RuamRudy]

2 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

But Estonia isn't doing anything actually. Just reiterating what the 27 member states agreed to. 

 

And to be fair, if Merkel cracks the whip, Estonia will do as told. 

 

 

He is expressing his country's position and its weight in political terms - the origin of the decision is immaterial. Much like Wallonia scuppered the EU-Canada trade deal several years ago, a small, independent country in the EU is showing that they have clout.

[Baerboxer]

5 hours ago, Chomper Higgot said:

It was explained in the debates before the referendum that the process of getting a deal with Europe was reliant upon getting every single one of the 27 EU members to cast their sovereign and and independent vote in the UK’s favour.

 

Perhaps you had a mental block over the idea that each EU member has a sovereign and independent vote.

 

And you believe they all do as they wish with no "pressure applied" from the big boys (and girls)!

[rixalex]

4 minutes ago, Bullie said:

Also, and more to the point: It is England (Not Wales, or Scotland) that is trying to dictate 27 united countries.

 

Why not Wales? Are you under the impression they voted to remain?

[Bullie]

32 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Estonia don't want UK to leave because we may not support them as well as we have done the EU can do it instead.

Why not Brexit from NATO as well and save more money. 

And with that money saved you can buy yourselv a nice sharp sword to throw yourselv into - it's tantamount to military suicide.

[Baerboxer]

1 minute ago, RuamRudy said:

He is expressing his country's position and its weight in political terms - the origin of the decision is immaterial. Much like Wallonia scuppered the EU-Canada trade deal several years ago, a small, independent country in the EU is showing that they have clout.

 

"He" is a She - unless you know something we don't!

 

Wallonia isn't an independent country, nor is it a member of the EU. But due to the mickey mouse government and constitution of Belgium ( a massive negative contributor to the EU btw), they could prevent Belgian agreement. 

 

This lady is simply echoing what the 27 agreed - to support Ireland. But I seriously doubt that if 26 agreed something else she'd vote differently.

 

[OneMoreFarang]

By now I hope the UK will crash out at the end of March.

And hopefully the EU does not try to make this a softer landing than necessary.

Let them crash, and crash hard. And maybe, maybe some of the people who supported Brexit and thought no-deal is no problem will learn from this. But probably, more likely, they will still blame the EU and the rest of the world for their home made problems.

 

I am sorry for all the Brits who wanted to stay in the EU and for all the kids who will now grow up on that island.

Maybe after a couple of years you can make a new referendum and hope the EU still accepts you back in the club - but obviously without all your current exceptions.

 

Good luck! You will need it.

[SheungWan]

30 minutes ago, melvinmelvin said:

Looks a bit out of the ordinary to me that small (reasonably modern) countries

like Estonia jump on the bandwagon and gets loudmouthed re Backstop and Brexit.

What interest would Estonia have re Backstop or the Irish throating each other?

(have seen politicians from Estonia sticking their neck very very far out before)

Protecting the interests of small countries in the EU. Its not rocket science.

[dick dasterdly]

22 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

It is interesting that one of the complaints of Brexiteers re: the EU was how this supposedly faceless monolith made the rules by which we had to abide, but now they are getting bent out of shape when a relatively small member state is doing exactly what they claimed the EU prevented member states from doing. 

Let's wait and see whether it is part of the May/eu plan to insist that their agreement is the only way forward....

 

When the 'agreement' is slightly changed (as I fully expect to happen one way or another), will the Estonia president change his views, and suddenly decide not to veto the changes? ????

[Baerboxer]

2 hours ago, Srikcir said:

NATO relationships are not affected by Brexit other than UK may not continue to meet its GDP defense commitments to NATO if its economy slows because of a No Brexit Deal.

 

Unlike some NATO members who have never met theirs; and apparently of no intentions to.

[SheungWan]

4 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

"He" is a She - unless you know something we don't!

Wallonia isn't an independent country, nor is it a member of the EU. But due to the mickey mouse government and constitution of Belgium ( a massive negative contributor to the EU btw), they could prevent Belgian agreement. 

This lady is simply echoing what the 27 agreed - to support Ireland. But I seriously doubt that if 26 agreed something else she'd vote differently.

She hasn't. But the Brexiteers would like to gag anybody speaking against their nonsense views.

[melvinmelvin]

10 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

Indeed they should. And I wonder how much Estonia contributes NATO costs in doing this?

Estonia is one of the very few EU countries in Nato that already has met the 2% of GDP target,

 

[SheungWan]

1 minute ago, dick dasterdly said:

Let's wait and see whether it is part of the May/eu plan to insist that their agreement is the only way forward....

When the 'agreement' is slightly changed (as I fully expect to happen one way or another), will the Estonia president change his views, and suddenly decide not to veto the changes? ????

There wouldn't be a veto of 'slight changes'. And unlike Hard Brexiteers, others are able to compromise.

[Bullie]

12 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 And as one of the many small countries that gets far more out of the EU than it contributes, it's position of "respect" is at the grace of others.

 

Without Germany and the UK contributions, the gravy train would be very thin. 

UK net contribution last year was 5,4 billion, or 18 % ov all net contributors. Germany, the Netherlands and Sweden will pay more next year. The gray would be thinner by appr. 10 %, a quit acceptable vigure to inally get rid ov these Brexit whiners.

[RuamRudy]

2 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

"He" is a She - unless you know something we don't!

 

Wallonia isn't an independent country, nor is it a member of the EU. But due to the mickey mouse government and constitution of Belgium ( a massive negative contributor to the EU btw), they could prevent Belgian agreement. 

 

This lady is simply echoing what the 27 agreed - to support Ireland. But I seriously doubt that if 26 agreed something else she'd vote differently.

 

I was expecting a pedant comment about Wallonia not being a member state but ennui took the better of me so I never qualified my comment by trying to counter in advance what is a trivial and diversionary point, and which detracts nothing from the bigger point - independent countries within the EU have autonomy to a far greater extent than was sold to the masses by Vote.Leave.

[Moonlover]

6 hours ago, JAG said:

Perhaps someone should remind Her Excellency President Kaljulaid of Estonia about "Operation Cabrit", the ongoing deployment of a British Army battlegroup (some 900 soldiers with armoured vehicles) to Estonia as part (a very significant part) of the NATO effort to defend her country?

Perhaps someone should remind the British parliament of the number of British troops that suffered and died bringing peace to Northern Island.

 

These screwball Brexiteers don't seem to care too much for the people of that provence, but the members of the EU certainly seem to care. ALL of them.

[SheungWan]

15 minutes ago, Bullie said:

NATO has NOTHING to do with Brexit, my dear boy.

Other than some of the Conspiracy Theory munching Hard Brexiteers who would like to ally with Russia.

[Bullie]

13 minutes ago, rixalex said:

Why not Wales? Are you under the impression they voted to remain?

I meant Northern Ireland, sorry

[Baerboxer]

17 minutes ago, Bullie said:

Changing the backstop requires 27 EU countries agreeing. When Estonia says NO, it means the EU says no.

Also, and more to the point: It is England (Not Wales, or Scotland) that is trying to dictate 27 united countries.

Wake up and smell the complete odour o the material you are currently in.

 

 

Nonsense. 

 

The United Kingdom is the member state; it's people have British nationality.

 

Wales, Scotland, England and Northern Ireland make up the UK. But are not sovereign countries - despite the delusions of some who don't seem in contact with reality.

[melvinmelvin]

4 minutes ago, SheungWan said:

Protecting the interests of small countries in the EU. Its not rocket science.

which small country? Ireland or Estonia?

 

in larger multilateral environments small countries fare best if they carefully chose when they bark

barking at every thing just make them somewhat irrelevant

 

 

[JAG]

12 minutes ago, Bullie said:

NATO has NOTHING to do with Brexit, my dear boy.

"My dear boy", perhaps if you ponder my post, and maybe even read it in conjunction with post #20, then you may understand the point I am making. A point that has not been lost on at least one member (see post #33) with whom I am more often at loggerheads over matters "Brexit'"

[Baerboxer]

4 minutes ago, Moonlover said:

Perhaps someone should remind the British parliament of the number of British troops that suffered and died bringing peace to Northern Island.

 

These screwball Brexiteers don't seem to care too much for the people of that provence, but the members of the EU certainly seem to care. ALL of them.

 

If you think the EU actually gives a fig about the people of Northern Ireland, you are very off the mark.

[SheungWan]

1 minute ago, melvinmelvin said:

which small country? Ireland or Estonia?

in larger multilateral environments small countries fare best if they carefully chose when they bark

barking at every thing just make them somewhat irrelevant

Right now let's just focus on the Irish backstop without the need to wander off in the distance.

[SheungWan]

2 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

 

If you think the EU actually gives a fig about the people of Northern Ireland, you are very off the mark.

Focus on the details of the backstop and try not to meander off.

[Baerboxer]

7 minutes ago, RuamRudy said:

I was expecting a pedant comment about Wallonia not being a member state but ennui took the better of me so I never qualified my comment by trying to counter in advance what is a trivial and diversionary point, and which detracts nothing from the bigger point - independent countries within the EU have autonomy to a far greater extent than was sold to the masses by Vote.Leave.

 

I never said they didn't!

 

But you seemed confused by the sex of the Estonian President and the fact that Wallonia is actually part of Belgium.

 

Obviously, it's hard for you to admit errors, so do try and gloss over them and if that makes you happy and thing you've saved face!

[Kwasaki]

25 minutes ago, Baerboxer said:

Once Putin decides to take the Baltic States back.

Why would he want to do that when Russia got rid of them.

Sounds like a hysterical US theory.

[SheungWan]

4 minutes ago, Kwasaki said:

Why would he want to do that when Russia got rid of them.

Sounds like a hysterical US theory.

Russia didn't get rid of anything other than as a result of the USSR collapsing. And 'er Kaliningrad still seems to be knocking around.

[Kwasaki]

18 minutes ago, Bullie said:

And with that money saved you can buy yourselves a nice sharp sword to throw yourselves into - it's tantamount to military suicide.

Another hysterical theory.