Russia Wants Estonian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister

Russian authorities have issued arrest warrants for the Estonian Prime Minister and Foreign Minister, but have not yet filed charges against the two officials.

"Kaja Kallas, born June 17, 1977, is wanted under an article of the Russian criminal code," according to the database published by the Russian Interior Ministry on February 13 about the arrest warrant for the Estonian Prime Minister.

The Russian Interior Ministry issued an arrest warrant for Estonian Foreign Minister Taimar Peterkop on the same day. Russian authorities have not yet announced charges against the two Estonian officials.

Estonia has not commented on Russia's arrest warrant.

Russian news agency TASS quoted a source as saying that the country's authorities "have opened a criminal case against Ms. Kallas and Mr. Peterkop for destroying or damaging monuments to Soviet soldiers" in Estonia. "The two officials were placed on the wanted list in this case," TASS said.

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas (left) and Foreign Minister Taimar Peterkop (right). Photo: Reuters

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.

In September 2023, the Investigative Committee of the Russian Federation (SKR) accused more than 170 foreigners, including citizens of Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine, of "insulting and destroying monuments to Soviet Red Army soldiers".

Russian authorities have opened 16 criminal cases and are investigating 143 cases of desecration, destruction or damage to graves, statues and memorials to Soviet servicemen.

Nguyen Tien (According to AFP, TASS )

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