Leaders of Russia, Estonia sit down for talks

Russian President Vladimir Putin, right, greets Estonia's President Kersti Kaljulaid at the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, April 18, 2019. (Alexander Nemenov/Pool Photo via AP)

MOSCOW – The presidents of Russia and Estonia have sat down for talks at the Kremlin for the first time in nearly a decade.

Estonian President Kersti Kaljulaid arrived in Moscow on Thursday to hold talks with President Vladimir Putin.

Putin told Kaljulaid in opening remarks that the lack of high-level contacts between Russia and Estonia is "not a normal situation" and said that both countries have a lot of issues in common, including environment issues surrounding the Baltic Sea and security.

Estonia, which borders Russia's northwest and is home to a large Russian-speaking minority, was spooked by Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and its support for separatists in eastern Ukraine.

Estonia has since hosted scores of NATO military drills, aimed to deterring potential Russian aggression.