Medvedev to Estonian PM: You being at large not your merit, but our shortcoming

  • 2022-08-10
  • BNS/TBT Staff

TALLINN – Dmitry Medvedev, deputy chairman of the Security Council of Russia, on Tuesday commented on statements made by Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas on Twitter, seemingly noting that the freedom of Estonia and the prime minister is not their merit, but Russia's shortcoming, the daily Postimees writes.

Medvedev was irritated by the Estonian prime minister's tweet that the issuance of tourist visas to Russian citizens should be stopped. "Visiting Europe is a privilege, not a human right. Air travel from Russia is shut down. It means while Schengen countries issue visas, neighbors to Russia carry the burden (Finland, Estonia, Latvia -- sole access points). Time to end tourism from Russia now," Kallas tweeted.

A few hours later, Medvedev tweeted that "following the Ukrainian carpet clown, the Estonian madame churned out more Nazi drivel targeting Russian citizens: 'Visiting Europe is a privilege, not a human right'. It makes one want to remind her of another saying: 'You being at large is not your merit, but our shortcoming'."

Finnish Prime Minister Sanna Marin shares the same opinion as Kallas. Marin told Finnish public broadcaster Yle that while Russia is waging a bloody war in Europe, Russian citizens can continue to live a normal life: be tourists and travel in Europe, and this is not right.