Vladimir Putin is wanted internationally on an international arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court over his role in the deportation of children from Ukraine to Russia. But Moscow seems to be saying that two can play at that game. Its interior ministry has published a list of some 700 foreigners wanted in Russia for a variety of offences, including almost 400 for fighting for Ukraine.
For the first time it also includes a foreign head of state, Estonia’s popular prime minister Kaja Kallas, along with other Baltic politicians critical of the war , including Lithuania’s culture minister and dozens of Latvian MPs. Her unspecified alleged offence appears to be related to Estonian efforts to remove Soviet-era war monuments. “These people are responsible for decisions to essentially mock historical memory,” Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov told reporters on Tuesday.
An unconcerned Kallas says simply: “This is yet more proof that I am doing the right thing – the EU’s strong support to Ukraine is a success and it hurts Russia.” Estonia in April banned the display of symbols of support for the invasion, like the letter Z and the ribbon of St. George, an orange and black emblem of the Russian military. Several Russian citizens living there were labelled “Kremlin provocateurs” and deported to Russia for cheering on Russian troops.
Yet there is a more sinister subtext to the listing. Putin used alleged Ukrainian discrimination against ethnic Russians to legitimise his attack on the country and the issue of Estonia’s treatment of its ethnic Russians, a quarter of the population , has been a running sore between the two capitals. Attempts to paint Estonia’s government as Nazi-sympathising for its removal of Soviet war memorials echoes the same charges made against Kyiv.
Although Putin in his recent interview with Tucker Carlson insisted that he has no interest in attacking the Baltic states, there is fear in all three countries that Russian ambitions may indeed go further than Ukraine.