According to Ossinovski, amending the Constitution in this way could be a terrible blow to Estonia's security.

"Today, my party has decided to support the amendment of the Constitution to abolish the right (of citizens of aggressor countries – ed.) to vote, which would deprive 70,000 permanent residents of Estonia of a say in local affairs. I cannot support this decision," Ossinovski wrote on social media.

"There is a serious risk that this move will do Estonia's security a great disservice in the long run, as it casts the shadow of national suspicion over an entire segment of society. I regret that the party cracked under pressure from the press and its opponents on this fundamental issue," he added.

On Monday, the coalition council agreed to recommend to its Riigikogu groups an urgent amendment of the Constitution, preventing citizens of aggressor states from voting in local elections.

Social Democratic Party (SDE) chair Lauri Läänemets said that they compromised with their coalition partners.

"In a situation where we can see our proposal alone will not be supported, we compromised," he said. "This means that the SDE's proposal to register for elections will also start being handled soon, along with the constitutional amendment, if the Social Democrats' board and Riigikogu group approve it tomorrow."

Läänemets advised that those Russian citizens, Belarusian citizens and stateless persons who still want to vote in local elections should obtain Estonian citizenship.

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