Russia has placed Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, Lithuania’s culture minister and other officials from Baltic nations on its “wanted” list on Tuesday for their alleged involvement in the destruction of Soviet-era monuments.
‘The Estonian PM is wanted for “desecration of historical memory’, says Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov. The monuments, in question, some of which remember the Red Army, have long been controversial in Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania as they are seen as a symbol of a time when they were under Soviet occupation.
The three Baltic nations Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have demolished most of their Soviet-era monuments.
Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the recent move “only the beginning,”. “Crimes against the memory of the world’s liberators from Nazism and fascism must be prosecuted”, she added.
The Kremlin has stated those placed on the “wanted” list by the Russian police had taken “hostile actions against historical memory” and Russia.
According to the Russian media, ‘In addition to the Estonian PM, Estonia’s State Secretary Taimar Peterkop, and Karol Nawrocki, the head of Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance, were also added to the “wanted” list’.
A report by Reuters, citing the Russian interior ministry’s database, said the list also includes 60 of the 100 members of the previous Latvian parliament, including former Interior Minister Marija Golubeva. The previous parliament’s term ended in November 2022.
Comments