Russia announced on February 13 that it had issued arrest warrants for Estonian Prime Minister Kallas and several Baltic states**. This is the first time since the outbreak of the Russia-Ukraine war 2 years ago that a foreign leader has been put on the wanted list.
According to foreign media reports such as Reuters and the Financial Times, the reason for Karas's arrest did not be stated, but the matter seems to be related to the Estonian authorities' plan to remove Soviet-era war memorials. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that these people must be held accountable for making decisions that destroy historical memory.
In addition to Kallas, Estonian Secretary of State Petro Kop and Lithuanian Minister of Culture Keres are also wanted. The Kremlin stressed that these people acted as hostilities against Russia.
Estonia** announced in the summer of 2022 that it would remove between 200 and 400 Soviet-era monuments from all public spaces. Remembering the dead should not be banned, but should be done in the right place, the cemetery, according to Kallas.
Kallas has always expressed strong support for Ukraine and is interested in running for the next NATO leader. She said that she was not surprised at all by the fact that she was wanted, and stressed that she would not be silenced because of this: being wanted is even more proof that I am doing the right thing, and that the EU's strong support for Ukraine has succeeded, and Russia has been injured as a result.
These politicians will be at risk of arrest when they cross the Russian border. Other than that, being wanted has no real implications.
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