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Estonia’s prime minister is wanted by Russia for destroying a Soviet-era war memorial after invading Ukraine.
Kaja Kalas is on the list along with Estonia’s Secretary of State Timar Peterkop and Minister of Culture Simonas Kailis.
Ms Karas, 46, is an outspoken critic of President Vladimir Putin and has been nicknamed “Europe’s New Iron Lady” after Margaret Thatcher.
She has been touted as a potential future NATO Secretary-General.
Karas, 46, is an outspoken critic of Vladimir Putin
Reuters
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said: “This is just the beginning… Crimes against the memory of the world’s liberators from Nazism and fascism must be prosecuted.”
Karas said Estonia, an EU and NATO member, would remove up to 400 monuments.
Estonia, along with Latvia and Lithuania, lodged a diplomatic protest with Moscow on Wednesday after its leading politician was placed on the wanted list.
Latvia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that it is working with the EU to address the issue and seeks to reduce the risk to its citizens. Meanwhile Lithuania He demanded that his country’s politicians be removed from the list.
Latest developments:
Kaja Kalas could be a future NATO leader
Reuters
Estonia said in a statement that its diplomats had “expressed their outrage” and asked the Kremlin for an explanation.
“The Ministry of Foreign Affairs also informed the Russian delegation that these measures by the Russian state do not prevent us from doing the right thing and that Estonia does not intend to change its firm support for Ukraine,” the spokesperson said.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said: “These Russian decisions violate generally accepted norms of international law, demonstrate efforts to falsify the past and show disrespect for Lithuania’s historical memory.” It shows,” he said.
Diplomats from these Baltic countries are only arrested if they cross the border into Russian territory.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kalas speaks to the media at the press corner of the EU summit, October 27, 2023.
getty
Earlier this week, Karas told reporters that Donald Trump’s recent comments about NATO should serve as a wake-up call for NATO members who have not invested much in their defense.
She said, “I think the statements made by the American presidential candidate will also wake up some of our allies who have not contributed much in the past.”
Prime Minister Karas said the EU “needs to recognize that regardless of who leads the next U.S. administration, we are strong enough to protect each other and that such statements carry risks.” He added that there is a need to send a clear message that “there is.” It is also a firm commitment to our recognition that we need to try harder. ”
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