"Acted with hostility"

Russia writes Kaja Kallas off as wanted

Estonian head of government Kaja Kallas(Bild: AFP/Ludovic MARIN)

Russia has issued a wanted notice for Estonia's Prime Minister Kaja Kallas on the website of the Moscow Interior Ministry. She is wanted for "a criminal case" - allegedly for "the destruction of monuments to Soviet soldiers". Only five days ago, Kallas was a guest of Federal Chancellor Karl Nehammer at the Vienna Opera Ball - but this has nothing to do with the current manhunt.

Relations between Moscow and the Baltic states are extremely tense as a result of the Russian offensive in Ukraine, which has been going on for two years. Estonia is considered one of the strongest supporters of Ukraine within the EU vis-à-vis Russia.

Putin critic
Kallas is one of the fiercest critics of Russian President Vladimir Putin. She has headed the Estonian government since 2021.

On Putin's list: Estonia's head of government Kaja Kallas(Bild: AFP/Ludovic MARIN)

No direct connection
The timing of the announcement of the manhunt is controversial, not least from Austria's point of view. Kallas was in Vienna just last week and attended the Opera Ball as a guest of Federal Chancellor Nehammer (ÖVP) (see also Instagram post above). She also spoke out in favor of further support for Ukraine here in Austria. Of course, there is no causal connection with the visit to Austria.

Kallas during her visit to the Chancellery with Karl Nehammer before the Opera Ball(Bild: APA/BKA/Andy Wenzel)

"Must be credible and strong"
 During her visit to Vienna, Kallas asked for support for Ukraine. Estonia believes in a victory for Ukraine, she emphasized. In order to make this possible, the country "must be supported for as long as it takes and with as much as it needs".

"To deter and prevent a war in Europe, we must be credible and strong," she said. The threat is real.

More politicians wanted
The Moscow Interior Ministry said on Tuesday that Estonian State Secretary Taimar Peterkop and Lithuanian Culture Minister Simonas Kairys were also wanted.

"Hostile acts against Russia"
The spokesman for the Russian presidential office, Dmitry Peskov, stated that Kallas was accused of hostile acts against Russia and "desecration of historical memory". The Russian news agency Tass quoted a source as saying that the three were accused of "destroying monuments to Soviet soldiers".