Russia announces arrest of Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas

On February 13, Russia declared Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas a "wanted" person in an undisclosed criminal case.

Nga tuyên bố truy nã Thủ tướng Estonia Kaja Kallas

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas. (Source: Reuters)

The Russian Interior Ministry's wanted persons database shows Ms Kallas, who has led Estonia since 2021, as "wanted under the Criminal Code" without specifying the charges.

When asked about the decision to arrest the Estonian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov explained that "these people are responsible for the decision that outrages historical memory".

Ms. Kallas has been Prime Minister of Estonia since January 2021. She has repeatedly called Russia a "permanent threat to the security of Western countries", called for Russia's isolation, and supported the decision to demolish Soviet-era monuments in Estonia commemorating those killed in World War II.

Tensions between Russia and Estonia have escalated recently, especially after the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war. Estonia is one of the European countries that most strongly supports Ukraine.

In January 2023, the Russian Foreign Ministry announced that it was downgrading diplomatic relations with Estonia and asking the Baltic nation's ambassador to leave. The two sides will have chargé d'affaires in each other's capitals instead of ambassadors. Estonia later made a similar move and asked the Russian ambassador to leave.

(according to AFP)

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