Why are Estonians not considered Baltic peoples?

Estonians are not considered "Baltic peoples" in an ethnic or linguistic sense because they do not belong to the Baltic branch of the Indo-European language family, which includes the Lithuanians and Latvians.12

Instead, Estonians are classified as Finnic peoples, a group that speaks languages belonging to the Finno-Ugric family. While Estonia is geographically grouped with Latvia and Lithuania as one of the Baltic states—a term derived from their shared location on the eastern shores of the Baltic Sea—this classification refers to their shared regional and political history rather than a common ethnic or linguistic origin.2314

The distinction is fundamental: the term "Balt" specifically identifies those who speak Baltic languages, whereas Estonians are linguistically and culturally closer to the Finns.125