Russia-Ukraine War

Estonian Prime Minister to Israel: Putin harms memory of Jews' suffering in the Holocaust - go against him

In a special interview with Walla!

Kaya Callas said that Israel should speak out loudly against Putin's remarks about the "removal of Nazism" from Ukraine, which she claims "undermines the suffering of the Jewish people."

According to her, the areas where the Russian army operated in Ukraine "are not just a battlefield but a crime scene"

Lightning Ravid

06/04/2022

Wednesday, 06 April 2022, 03:40 Updated: 13:36

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In the video: Head of the Estonian Railways in a special interview with Barak Ravid about the war in Ukraine (Photo: Zoom)

Estonian Prime Minister Kaya Callas said in an interview with Walla!

Because the Israeli government should go against Russian President Vladimir Putin for harming the memory of the suffering suffered by the Jews during the Holocaust when he talks about the "removal of Nazism" from Ukraine.

More on Walla!

Zalansky: "There is no security in the world despite the existence of the UN Security Council"

To the full article

why is it important:

• Callas, 44, became in January 2021 the first woman to head the Estonian government.

  Her father, Sim Callas, served as Prime Minister of Estonia from 2002 to 2003.

• Since taking office she has been one of Putin's sharpest critics and even more so since the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"Go against Putin", Estonian Prime Minister Kaya Callas (Photo: Barak Ravid)

between the lines:

• Israel has condemned the Russian invasion of Ukraine but has said nothing publicly against Putin's claims that Ukrainian President Zalansky and senior government officials are "Nazis."

• Israel has taken a very careful line for many weeks.

  Prime Minister Bennett even argued that he must maintain a balance so that he can continue to mediate between Putin and Zalansky.

• Zalansky is the only Jewish head of state in the world other than Israel who is Jewish.

  Many senior members of his government, such as the head of the presidential administration and the minister of defense, are also Jews.

"Elimination of Nazism".

Vladimir Putin (Photo: Reuters)

What is she saying:

• "There is one point that is very specific to Israel - Putin uses the argument of 'removing Nazism' from Ukraine. He details the suffering of the Jews and I think it deeply undermines the suffering of your people and you can speak out against it out loud and say it is wrong," he said. Said Callas.

• The Prime Minister of Estonia has not criticized the Israeli government's policy towards the Russian invasion of Ukraine and even said that she understands why Prime Minister Bennett maintains a neutral line.

  "You can not be a mediator if you choose a side in the war, so I understand where you are coming from," she said.

• Callas, however, made it clear that Israel also needs to look at the big picture and make sure that in the long run it "stands on the right side of history."

Situation:

• Estonian Army Commander General Martin Harem said on Sunday that the Russian threat is pushing the Estonian army to become more like the IDF.

• Callas said the intention was for Israel to adapt to the constant threat it faces by investing heavily in security.

• "Your military force is so strong and you are constantly on high alert and that means you are not being attacked," she said.

• Callas stressed that in light of the fact that Russia is the neighbor to the east also Estonia "should be prepared to fight back, but hope it will not be necessary".

Worth noting:

• The Estonian prime minister said that the country has good security cooperation with Israel and noted that there may be security procurement deals in the future.

• "There are a lot of things on the table but you can't talk about it in public. You're famous for the fine military equipment you make. That's one of the options," she said.

In the news center:

• The interview with Callas took place against the backdrop of photos of the massacre in the town of Bocha.

  The Estonian prime minister said Russia's occupied territories in Ukraine "are not only a battlefield but also a crime scene".

• She said the Russian military's meeting of civilians should be treated as a war crime.

  However, she did not call Putin a war criminal, as US President Biden did.

"crime scene".

Bodies in Bocha (Photo: Reuters)

The big picture:

• Estonia, like Latvia and Lithuania is a member of NATO and the European Union. The three Baltic states have a common border with Russia and they fear that if Putin is not defeated he could become even more aggressive.

• Callas expressed concern that international pressure to reach a ceasefire would allow Russia to claim victory and retain the territories it had occupied.

  In such a situation, she argued, "Putin's appetite will only increase."

  The Estonian Prime Minister stressed that the international community should not push for "peace at all costs" with Putin but rather do more to help Ukraine and stop Russia.

• "If Putin does not pay a price for the crimes he committed then we will get a time-out of a year or two and when he is reorganized everything will be repeated more severely," Callas said.

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