Arvo Hallik, the husband of Estonia’s Prime Minister Kaja Kallas, has revealed his plans to sell his share in Stark Logistics, a company that has been carrying out transport services from Estonia to Russia even after the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, ERR cites Hallik’s statement.
Kaja Kallas and Arvo Hallik. Photo: social media
“In light of the media coverage that has emerged, I understand that my business activities, shareholding and work in Stark Logistics, a company that has been carrying out transport services from Estonia to Russia for our client AS Metaprint, have raised questions that, regardless of the answers, will affect my wife’s work,” Hallik wrote.
He also noted that his wife Kallas was “unaware of his business activities”.
“We discussed the issue of transport for our client on several occasions, and we believed that we were doing the right thing, helping the right people and saving a good Estonian company, otherwise we could not have done it,” reads Hallik’s statement.
The PM’s spouse also wrote that he will sell his shares back to Stark Logistics, resign from the company’s board of directors, terminate his CFO contract and “relinquish all roles and responsibilities and hand them over to other employees.” He also apologised for the situation and the damage it has caused his wife.
According to the Estonian business register, 24.8% of Stark Logistics is owned by Novaria Consult, a holding investment company owned by Arvo Hallik. At a certain point, Kaja Kallas provided Novaria Consult with a loan worth €350,000.
Estonia’s President Alar Karis commented on the matter: “The public is waiting for an explanation from the Prime Minister.” He stressed that he did not know all the details, but believed that Kallas should give a detailed comment and make her own decision regarding her future.
After ERR published the evidence of Hallik’s involvement, Kallas claimed that her husband had no clients in Russia. She refused to comment on Stark Logistics business activities and suggested that journalists contact the company directly.
In May 2023, in an interview for the Financial Times, Kallas revealed that she had to “beg” Estonian companies for them to stop business cooperation with Russia. She accused the domestic firms of hypocrisy: “You talk very loudly about Ukraine, Russia and security, but behind the scenes you support [Russia].”
