Russian Ambassador to Estonia Alexander Petrov has been called to the Estonian Foreign Ministry over the Russian Foreign Ministry's statement about Baltic states joining the Soviet Union voluntarily, Russia's diplomatic mission in Estonia confirmed on Thursday
HELSINKI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 23rd July, 2020) Russian Ambassador to Estonia Alexander Petrov has been called to the Estonian Foreign Ministry over the Russian Foreign Ministry's statement about Baltic states joining the Soviet Union voluntarily, Russia's diplomatic mission in Estonia confirmed on Thursday.
Earlier in the day, the Russian embassy published the ministry's statement dedicated to the 80th anniversary of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania joining the USSR. The statement reaffirms Moscow's position on events when the Baltic nations entered the union � the Soviet Union was forced to send its forces to the three countries in 1940, as it feared that the territory of Baltic states could be used by Nazi Germany for attacks against the union. According to the statement, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania later joined the Soviet Union voluntarily.
Following the publication, Estonian Foreign Minister Urmas Reinsalu said that "such statements" harm Moscow-Tallinn relations and added that he had tasked the foreign ministry to summon Petrov over the issue. The minister also said that the Russian foreign ministry's statement on Baltic nations voluntarily joining the Soviet Union is "not based on historical facts".
The Russian embassy confirmed to Sputnik that Petrov was called to the Estonian Foreign Ministry.
