Estonian Prime Minister refuses to resign over her husband's business ties to Russia

Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said she has no plans to leave her post because of her husband's Russian business. Arvo Hallik, in turn, announced that he would sell a stake in the company Stark Logistics, which is engaged in cargo transportation to Russia.

“I don't plan to resign. I have been and will remain prime minister for the sake of freedom for Ukraine and Estonia,” said Kallas in an interview with ERR. Earlier, as the publication writes, Estonian opposition politicians demanded this.

This week, the Estonian television channel ERR reported that Callas's wife's company, Stark Logistics, continued to do business with Russia after the start of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine at the end of February 2022. Stark Logistics CEO Kristjan Kraag then told the publication that the company, although it had not completely stopped its activities in Russia, had significantly reduced it. According to him, recently they have been supplying “warehouse balances” that are not subject to European sanctions.

Callas herself stated on August 24 that she had nothing to do with her husband’s business. “I have no relation or detailed understanding of his entrepreneurial activities,” she noted.

Later, a representative of Stark Logistics in an interview with the Financial Times said that the company did not violate sanctions and plans to make the last delivery of cargo to Russia in September.

The day before, Arvo Hallik announced that he would sell his stake in the company, resign from the board of directors and terminate his employment contract. “There has been interest from the media, and I understand that my business activities, participation and work in the Stark Logistics company, which carried out transportation from Estonia to Russia, will affect my wife’s work. I have agreed with the other shareholders of Stark Logistics that I will immediately sell all of my shares back to Stark Logistics,” said in a statement. Hallick

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