Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas wanted by Russia Government.
Russian authorities launched unprecedented criminal proceedings against Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas on Tuesday, alleging politically motivated charges, as reported by Russia’s state-run Tass news.
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The Kremlin accused Kallas, Estonian Secretary of State Taimar Peterkop, and Lithuanian Culture Minister Simonas Kairys of destroying or damaging monuments dedicated to Soviet soldiers. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov confirmed the charges during a call with journalists but provided no clarity on when the supposed crime occurred. By Wednesday, public officials from all three Baltic states found themselves on the wanted list.
Shortly after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nearly two years ago, Kallas declared that Estonia would remove all Soviet monuments from public spaces. Kallas seems to be the first head of state placed on the Russian Interior Ministry’s wanted list since the invasion began, though the move appears symbolic.
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On Tuesday, Kallas expressed her lack of surprise on social media, stating that it demonstrated she was “doing the right thing” by supporting Ukraine in its war against Russia. She pointed out Russia’s historical repressions veiled behind law enforcement agencies, citing her family’s experience of deportation to Siberia.
In response, Latvia and Lithuania summoned their respective Russian ambassadors on Wednesday, condemning the move as politically motivated. Estonia also summoned Russia’s charges d’affaires to the country.
Estonia, a former part of the Soviet Union, joined the European Union and NATO in 2004. NATO’s expansion to Russia’s border has long unsettled Russian President Vladimir Putin, who perceives the alliance as an existential threat.
Putin’s decision to invade Ukraine raised concerns in Estonia about its own security. The Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service’s report suggested Russia might double the number of troops on its border with the Baltic countries and increase those on its frontier with Finland, which joined NATO last year.
Estonia’s Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna, in his annual foreign policy speech on Tuesday, vehemently backed Ukraine and delivered strong anti-Russian remarks. He emphasized the need for collective defense efforts and increased spending, echoing Estonia’s commitment to allocate more than 3% of its GDP to defense this year, surpassing NATO’s 2% threshold.
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