Estonia Chief Lambasted by Gorbachev : Independence: Soviet leader telephones Baltic republic’s leader to assail move toward secession.

An irate Mikhail S. Gorbachev phoned the president of Estonia today and assailed the Baltic republic’s drive for independence, Estonian media reported.

Arnold Ruutel, president of Estonia’s Supreme Soviet Parliament, told official television that Gorbachev used strong words and was generally very angry during the conversation.

In a later radio interview, Ruutel said Gorbachev criticized Estonia’s Supreme Soviet for declaring the republic an occupied state.

“When I heard of your resolution, I was completely beside myself. You must declare the resolution null and void. It is an invalid one,” Ruutel quoted Gorbachev as saying.

“It seems to me that I have to introduce similar measures as those taken in Lithuania,” he quoted the Soviet leader as saying. Ruutel did not elaborate on those remarks when asked by the radio interviewer.

Soviet soldiers and tanks moved into Lithuania after officials in the republic refused to back down on their claim of independence, but Moscow has repeatedly said it will not use force there.

Ruutel said that after he explained Estonia’s position and that it will not give up its desire for independence, the Soviet president calmed down, the television report said without elaboration.

Estonia said last week that it will seek to re-establish independence at the end of a still-undefined transition period. But unlike their Baltic neighbors in Lithuania, the Estonians are taking a more careful line on secession and have called on Moscow to start negotiations.

The Estonian Parliament’s deputy speaker, Marju Lauristin, one of the leaders of the People’s Front political movement, said she is pleased with the conversation despite its beginning.

“In spite of this first negative reaction, it is a contact and every contact is needed for negotiations,” she said.

Lauristin said Gorbachev demanded from Ruutel a full report on the situation in Estonia. She said the report is being prepared and will be sent to the Soviet president as soon as possible.

Gorbachev’s call followed appeals from non-Estonian nationalities to Moscow to protect the rights of Soviet citizens in the republic.

Estonia declared support for Lithuania’s March 11 declaration of independence and called on Gorbachev in a Parliament resolution to halt army pressure and stop “political provocations” against Lithuania.