Putin on Thursday paid tribute to Tsar Peter the Great, who said he had reclaimed Russian territory during a long war with Sweden from 1700 to 1721. Putin specifically mentioned Narva, who belongs to Estonia, one of the three Baltic states and a member of NATO. read more The Estonian Foreign Minister said that Ambassador Vladimir Lipayev had been summoned “to condemn President Putin’s recent statements, including his comments on the Estonian city of Narva”, in a statement. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register “At a time when Russia … is trying to destroy the state and the people of Ukraine, it is also completely unacceptable,” he added. Putin compared Peter’s campaign to the work of Russia, which invaded Ukraine in February. Estonia was part of the Russian Empire for more than two centuries before gaining independence in 1918. In 1940 the Soviet Union annexed the country, which regained its independence by 1991. Sign up now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com Register Report by David Ljunggren. Edited by: Leslie Adler Our role models: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
