(ANSA-AFP) - TALLINN, 26 AGO - Estonia's opposition and
mainstream media on Friday demanded the resignation of Prime
Minister Kaja Kallas after it emerged that a company partly
owned by her husband was continuing to operate in Russia. Public
broadcaster ERR reported Wednesday that the transport company
Stark Logistics, which is partly owned by Kallas's husband Arvo
Hallik, had continued deliveries to Russia after the start of
the war with Ukraine. The United States and the European Union
have levied unprecedented sanctions against Moscow to limit
Russia's ability to finance its war effort since the invasion in
February last year. Stark Logistics has said that it had only
one Estonian customer, Metaprint, which is currently in the
process of closing its plant in Russia. It said that Stark
Logistics was making deliveries to help arrange with the closing
up of the site.
The opposition Centre Party said it was starting discussions
on a no-confidence motion against Kallas, while another
opposition party Isamaa said she had "no other option but to
resign immediately". Several Estonian newspapers on Friday also
called for her to resign. In a statement on Facebook on
Wednesday, Kallas said that her husband's company was assisting
one of its Estonian clients "in accordance with the laws and
sanctions imposed". She said that all trade with Russia must
"stop as long as the war of Russian aggression against Ukraine
continues". Kallas's husband apologised on Friday for the
situation that has arisen and the "harm caused to my wife" and
said he would immediately sell his shares in Stark Logistics and
withdraw from the company. He said his wife was "not aware" of
his work. Kallas has been prime minister since 2021.
pol-bo/rox/kjm Meta
/ (ANSA-AFP).
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