Russian leader Vladimir Putin tried to prevent Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas from becoming NATO Secretary General.
According to Kallas, part of this obstruction was her being put on the wanted list by Russian security forces. This year, Russia has put several dozen European officials on the wanted list, including Kallas and Estonian Secretary of State Taimar Peterkop.
In her opinion, the Kremlin wanted to show that Estonia is not a real country where Russian laws are in force, and that Kallas herself is an "anti-Russian provocateur."
"The wanted notice was also a signal to my European colleagues. When we talk about various positions at the European level or in NATO, the main argument against me is that I am an anti-Russian provocateur. That is why they put me on this list, to make it clear that I am provoking them," she explained.
Change of NATO Secretary General
This year, Jens Stoltenberg's term as NATO Secretary General expires, and therefore the alliance member states will have to elect his successor. Currently, the struggle is between Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte and Romanian President Klaus Iohannis.
In November 2023, Estonian Prime Minister Kallas also announced her desire to become NATO Secretary General. The then Latvian Foreign Minister Krišjānis Karinš also applied for the position.
The new NATO Secretary General is to be elected at the Alliance's summit in Washington, D.C., this July.