In today’s Vatnik Soup, I’ll introduce an Estonian lawyer, social activist, politician, and useful idiot for the Kremlin, Varro Vooglaid (@varrovooglaid). He’s best-known for promoting pro-Kremlin viewpoints under the guise of “traditional family values.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.”

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.”

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.

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