Hollywood action star Steven Seagal, perhaps best known for his martial arts skills but also lately as a defender of Russian President Vladimir Putin's actions in Ukraine, has stirred up heated emotions in Estonia, the tiny Baltic country previously occupied by the Soviet Union.

Mr. Seagal, also a musician currently touring in Europe with his blues band, is set to headline the Augustibluus festival in the small Estonian town of Haapsalu in early August. Organizers have tried to convince him to front the festival for years...