(NewsSpace.com) – Russia has a long list of wanted criminals—nearly 100,000—who it accuses of various infractions. It doesn’t take much to get put on it, either. Russian officials are very sensitive about anyone speaking out against their government, and many people have found themselves targeted simply for their beliefs. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas is the latest to find herself added to that list.
Estonia was part of the Soviet Union from 1944 to 1991, when it collapsed. Still, the nation has several Soviet World War II monuments. After Russia invaded Ukraine nearly two years ago, Kallas made it her mission to get rid of the statues, an apparent crime in Russia’s eyes. An independent media outlet in Russia, Mediazona, discovered that Kallas is on the list “for the destruction and damage of monuments to Soviet soldiers.” Maria Zakharova, a spokesperson for the Russian Foreign Ministry, said the monuments honored “the memory of those who liberated the world from Nazism and fascism.” Putin has long held that he invaded his neighboring country to rid it of Nazi influence.
Kallas has been a very outspoken critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin and his invasion of Ukraine. She is at the forefront of calls for the European Union (EU) to continue sending the war-torn country aid in hopes of helping the country fight off the intrusion. Kallas also addressed the fact that she’s on the “wanted” list in a post on X, formerly Twitter, where she says the “move is nothing surprising.”
The Kremlin now hopes this move will help to silence me and others – but it won't.
The opposite. I will continue my strong support to Ukraine. I will continue to stand for increasing Europe's defence. 3/
— Kaja Kallas (@kajakallas) February 13, 2024
The Estonian prime minister remains staunch in her efforts to remove the statues and said Russia will not intimidate her into silence. Under her leadership, Estonia has already removed a Soviet tank memorial located in Narva. Other countries, including Poland and the Czech Republic, have both removed numerous monuments honoring Red Army soldiers.
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