Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas publicly apologized for the fact that her husband’s company continued to operate in Russia after the outbreak of a full-scale war in Ukraine, Delfi reports. At the same time, she noted that her husband had already sold his share in the company, as Callas put it, “for the price of a sandwich.”
The head of the Estonian government also said that she does not intend to resign because of the scandal, adding that “the opposition can put forward a vote of no confidence if it collects the required number of votes.”
“I am responsible for the moral assessments that I gave,” Kallas concluded. “I still believe that acting in Russia or maintaining relations with it in a situation where there is a full-scale war is wrong from a moral point of view. This must be stopped, and I encourage all Estonian businesses to do this.”
Last week, journalists from the Estonian national broadcasting company ERR published an investigation according to which the husband of the country’s Prime Minister Kai Kallas makes money by delivering goods to Russia.
According to media reports, Arvo Hallik owned a share in the transport company Stark Logistics; Kallas provided financial assistance to her husband’s company in the amount of 350 thousand euros. Estonian President Alar Karis demanded clarification from the prime minister.
Prior to the apology, Kallas stated that she holds a government position and does not conduct business with Stark Logistics, and that all questions should be addressed to the company itself. After a media outcry, Hallik announced plans to sell his stake in the company, adding that his wife was not aware of his business activities.
Since the beginning of full-scale Russian aggression, Estonia has become one of the countries that most actively supports Ukraine. The country’s authorities help Ukrainians both financially and with arms supplies. Estonian Prime Minister Kallas advocated stopping the issuance of entry visas to Russians to the European Union. In May 2023, Kallas, in an interview with the British edition of the Financial Times, accused Estonian companies that did not refuse cooperation with Russia of hypocrisy.
