Russia puts leader of Estonia on wanted list over removal of Soviet-era monuments

Estonia’s prime minister has been put on a wanted list in Russia because of her efforts to remove Soviet-era World War II monuments in the Baltic nation, officials said Tuesday as tensions between Russia and the West soar amid the war in Ukraine.

Russian media reported Tuesday that Kaja Kallas’ name appears on the Interior Ministry’s register of people wanted on criminal charges, but it was not clear when she was added to the list that also includes scores of officials and lawmakers from other Baltic nations.

The ministry didn’t specify what charges Kallas faces, but other officials said the move was related to her efforts to remove WWII monuments. Estonia and other NATO members Latvia and Lithuania have sought to remove the monuments widely seen as a legacy of Soviet occupation of the countries. Moscow has denounced those moves as a desecration of memory of Soviet soldiers who fell while fighting the Nazis.

The inclusion of Kallas who has fiercely advocated for increased military assistance to Ukraine and stronger sanctions

Moscow has denounced those moves as a desecration of memory of Soviet soldiers who fell while fighting Nazis

against Russia appears to reflect the Kremlin’s effort to up the ante in the face of pressure from NATO allies as the war nears the two-year mark.

While it means little in practical terms as Russia-West contacts have been frozen during the conflict, it comes at a time when European members of NATO are growing increasingly worried about how the US election will affect the future of the alliance. It is the first time the ministry has put a foreign leader on a wanted list. Estonian Secretary of State Taimar Peterkop and Lithuanian Culture Minister Simonas Kairys are also on the list -- which is accessible to the public --- along with scores of officials and lawmakers from Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.