Estonian Prime Minister Kaia Kallas faced pressure to resign on Friday after reports emerged that her husband owns a stake in a company with operations in Russia following Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine. writes Reuters.

Two major Estonian newspapers have asked him to resign, and two opinion polls have shown that a majority of respondents believe he should resign, News.ro reported, citing Reuters.

Callas said she does not believe her husband’s companies have done anything wrong, while her husband has promised to sell his stake in the company.

Kaya Callas, who has called on European companies to sever ties with Moscow, has been a leading critic of Russia in the European Union and NATO, and is seen by some as a potential future secretary general of the North Atlantic alliance.

Prime Minister Kai Kallas is asked to explain

Estonian public broadcaster ERR reported this week that Stark Logistics, an Estonian company in which Kallas’ husband, Arvo Hallik, indirectly holds a 25% stake, had supplied an aerosol container factory in Russia owned by another Estonian company. Since the beginning of the war, he has earned 1.5 million euros from servicing the factory, the Estonian newspaper reports Eesti Paevaleht.

President Alar Karis and the leader of the Social Democrats, Kallas’ minority partner in the coalition government, on Thursday asked the prime minister for a detailed explanation.

Callas told reporters on Thursday that while she did not have detailed information about her husband’s business, she was satisfied with his explanation that the company was merely helping another firm while its Russian operations were closed. “I am absolutely sure and confident that my husband’s companies are not involved in any immoral activity,” Callas said on Wednesday, as quoted by ERR. “They don’t even buy fuel in Russia so as not to leave money in Russia,” she added.

constantlyanother major daily, said in an editorial on Friday that the prime minister was evasive in his answers.

“We didn’t hear back on Wednesday or Thursday, and there’s no reason to believe we’ll hear back on Saturday or Sunday. So, constantly he gives friendly advice to the prime minister to start packing his bags today so as not to leave with even greater shame in the future,” the editorial says.

Eesti Paevalehtanother important daily newspaper, also suggested that Prime Minister Callas resign and then give him a vote of confidence in the parliament.

Kallas borrowed 350,000 euros for her husband’s business

ERR reported the results of two public opinion polls, which showed that 57% and 69% of respondents respectively believe that Kaia Callas should resign.

Callas’ husband announced on Friday that he would sell his stake in the company and step down from the board of directors, ERR reports.

“We (the company) discussed the issue of transportation for our client (from Russia) several times and believed that we were doing the right thing, helping the right people and saving a good Estonian company, otherwise we would not have been able to do this,” Hallik said, quoted by ERR. in the application.

Kallas, who borrowed up to 350,000 euros for her husband’s business, according to her wealth declaration published by the NBS news agency, in December banned Estonian State Railways from transporting Russian nickel, which is not subject to sanctions, saying they should not have a business relationship with Russia or Belarus.

Callas’ liberal reformist party, which has been in power since 2021, won the general election in March, winning 37 seats in the 101-member parliament. Kallas then formed a coalition with the liberal party Estonia 200 and the Social Democratic Party to obtain a majority of 60 votes.