NORTHFIELD — The president of Estonia speaks at St. Olaf College in Northfield this weekend.

Toomas Hendrick Ilves will receive an honorary degree and speak to St. Olaf’s graduating class Sunday.

As the leader of a former Soviet republic that shares a border with Russia, Ilves has been playing an active and vocal role in the global response to the Crimean crisis. He’s called for U.S. and European Union leaders to take action and for NATO to put forces on the ground in the region.

Ilves was born in Sweden to Estonian refugee parents and was raised in the United States. He’s been president of Estonia since 2006. He’s on a working visit to the United States that’s focused on information technology.