The Estonian Prime Minister is listed as wanted by Russia for attempting to remove war memorials from the Soviet era.
The country of Russia has announced that they are seeking the arrest of Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas and other officials from eastern European countries for their attempts to remove war memorials from the Soviet era.
According to Russian authorities, Kallas and other officials are being accused of breaking Russian laws that prohibit the manipulation of history and the promotion of Nazism.
Dmitry Peskov, spokesperson for the Kremlin, stated that Kallas and others have engaged in “hostile actions against historical memory” and Russia, resulting in this action being taken against them.
This marks the first occurrence in history of a foreign leader being added to the interior ministry’s list of wanted individuals.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas gave an interview in Brussels on December 13, 2023. On February 13, 2024, Russia declared Kallas a “wanted” individual.
Kallas responded on X, previously known as Twitter, stating that the Kremlin’s intention with this action is to silence her and others, but it will not succeed. She has referred to it as a common tactic used to intimidate.
Eleven months later, following a warrant from the International Criminal Court, Russian President Vladimir Putin is being charged with war crimes for reportedly participating in the kidnapping of Ukrainian children. The ICC has also issued a warrant for Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova, Russia’s representative for children’s rights.
According to Reuters, the Russian interior ministry has released a list of individuals that includes Lithuanian Culture Minister Simonas Kairys and Estonian Secretary of State Taimar Peterkop. They have been included on the list for their involvement in the removal of Soviet soldier monuments.
According to Reuters, Kairys stated that the arrest warrant demonstrates his proactive and principled actions.
Multiple former members of Latvia’s parliament are allegedly included on the list.
For a long time, there was disapproval towards these monuments in Estonia and Lithuania. However, the ongoing invasion of Ukraine by Russia has caused them to be taken down recently.
On August 23, 2022, a sculpture of a Soviet soldier from World War Two was taken down as part of the dismantling process of a victory monument in Riga, Latvia.
For many people in the Baltic countries, these statues serve as a negative symbol of Soviet dominance. However, Moscow views them as a representation of Russia’s contribution to freeing these nations from Nazi rule.
Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova stated that acts against the memory of those who liberated the world from Nazism and fascism must face consequences, and this is only the start.
On February 24, 2022, Russia launched an invasion of Ukraine, stating that their military was aiming to “denazify” the country but not occupy it. The president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, is of Jewish descent.
Since being invaded, Russia has strengthened its position on laws prohibiting the falsification of history and the promotion of Nazism.
Kairys stated that Russia has manipulated the truth and is actively suppressing freedom, continuing its consistent behavior. He also mentioned that Russia is presenting a version of events that contradicts both facts and logic.
Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania – all Baltic states – are members of the 31-member NATO Atlantic alliance, having joined in 2004. They are among Ukraine’s staunchest political, financial and military supporters.
The three countries in NATO have been boosting their military budget and enhancing their border protection in response to growing tensions that have raised concerns about a possible military conflict with Russia.
Josef Stalin took control of three countries during World War II, but they regained their independence after the Soviet Union dissolved in 1991.
In January 2023, the ambassador of Estonia was instructed to depart from Russia due to accusations of “Russophobia.” Prior to this, Russian diplomats were instructed to leave Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania in response to Russia’s incursion into Ukraine.
In the beginning of this month, there was an increase in tensions when Russia accused Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania of disregarding their requests for security at Russian embassy voting locations within their borders. As a result, diplomats from all three countries were called to meet with officials in Moscow.
The Associated Press, Agence France-Presse, and Reuters have contributed information to this report. This report was also contributed to by Steve Herman from VOA.
Source: voanews.com
