ESTONIAN PRIME MINISTER KAJA Kallas has emerged as one of Europe’s most combative leaders as the continent grapples with the return of major war.
The 45-year-old’s ceaseless repudiation of Russian aggression—and of those allies who are seemingly hesitant to face it—has earned Kallas vitriol from the Kremlin and a new nickname in the West: Europe’s “new Iron Lady,” a moniker once bestowed upon former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher.
“I don’t know how to answer this,” Kallas says, laughing, at the nickname during an exclusive interview at the Stenbock House, the official seat of the Estonian government. “I guess it shows that I’ve been very firm about the issues that I’m talking about. And I think it is meant as a compliment. Although maybe in some countries,