Since taking office in January, Estonian Prime Minister Kallas has maintained a tough stance against Russia, supporting Ukraine's territorial integrity, opposing Russia's military activities in the Black Sea and Baltic regions, calling on the European Union to strengthen sanctions against Russia and strengthening cooperation with NATO and the United States. Kallas has even been dubbed the "New Iron Lady of Europe" by some media outlets, on a par with former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
However, recently, Karas has fallen into trouble because of his "Russia-related door" and has been questioned and criticized at home and abroad. According to the European edition of the US "Political News Network" recently quoted Estonian media reports, Kallas's current husband Khalik is a shareholder of a logistics company called Stark, which has been doing business with Russia since the outbreak of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in February last year. After being exposed by the media, Halik said that he would sell his shares in Stark and leave the company. Kallas said she was not involved in her husband's business.
However, reports in July revealed that Kalas had provided her husband with a €350,000 investment loan and visited Stark's partners several times as prime minister. These facts have raised questions among the Estonian public about whether there is a conflict of interest and ethical issues in Kalas. Estonian President Caris also expressed displeasure, criticizing Kallas for putting "the country's credibility into question."
Estonian President Caris expressed displeasure, criticizing Karas for putting "the country's credibility into question." He also asked Kallas to explain to Congress and said it would decide whether to take any action against her based on feedback from Congress.
According to the British "Guardian", although the Estonian security services said that Khalik's business activities did not violate sanctions against Russia, the Estonian public's trust in the prime minister was still greatly reduced. A poll showed that support for the Reform Party led by Karras fell 5 percentage points in August to 25.6 percent, just 0.4 percentage points higher than the Centre Party, another party in the ruling coalition. In the face of criticism from all sides, Kallas has apologized, but did not mention his resignation. Estonian Defense Minister Pevkul has publicly stated that Kallas is acting transparently and there is no need to resign.
According to the British "Guardian", although the Estonian security services said that Khalik's business activities did not violate sanctions against Russia, the Estonian public's trust in the prime minister was still greatly reduced. A recent poll showed that support for Kallas's reform party fell 6 percentage points to 25 percent. On the other hand, the opposition Centre Party and the Conservative People's Party rose by 4 and 3 percentage points, respectively, to 23% and 19%.
In the face of criticism, Kallas has come forward to apologize and said she did not violate any laws or ethics. She also stressed her tough stance on Russia and said she would not change her policy because of her husband's business activities. "I have never compromised with Russia on any issue and will not compromise in the future," she said. ”
Estonian Defense Minister Pevkul has publicly stated that Kallas is acting transparently and there is no need to resign. "I think Kallas is a very capable prime minister who has shown firmness and clarity in dealing with both domestic and international affairs," he said. He also said Kallas' husband's business activities should not affect her political reputation. However, some analysts believe that Kallas's "Russia-related" incident has damaged Estonia's image in Europe and NATO, and weakened her authority at home. They noted that Kallas needed to resolve the crisis as soon as possible or she could face greater political risk.
However, Kallas's "Russia-related door" not only affected her image and reputation at home, but may also damage her international status and influence. As a Baltic state bordering Russia with a large population of Russian origin, Estonia has always been hostile and wary of Russia, emphasizing itself as a staunch ally of Europe and NATO. After taking office, Kallas also actively maintained close contact with the European Union, the United States, Ukraine and other countries and organizations to express his dissatisfaction and concern about Russia. However, Kallas's "Russia-approach" could cast doubt on her integrity and position among her allies, and even affect Estonia's position and role in Europe and NATO.
In short, Kallas's "Russia-related approach" is a serious political crisis that has had a negative impact not only on her personally, but also on Estonia's domestic politics and international relations. How Kallas handles this crisis will test her political acumen and abilities, and will determine whether she can continue to serve as Estonia's prime minister.