The Diet of Latvia declared Russia a sponsor of terrorism
The Diet of Latvia adopted a statement in which it recognizes the actions of the Russian military in Ukraine as terrorism, and Russia as a sponsor of terrorism.
This is reported on the website of the Seimas. Parliamentarians categorically condemn Russia’s military aggression and the large-scale invasion of Ukraine, carried out with the support and participation of the Belarusian regime. In a statement, the Seimas calls on EU countries to immediately suspend the issuance of tourist and entry visas to citizens of Russia and Belarus.
“For many years, Russia has supported and financed terrorist regimes and organizations in a variety of ways – directly and indirectly, including supplying weapons to the Assad regime in Syria, poisoning the Skripal family and being involved in the downing of the MH-17 plane.
In Ukraine, Russia chose a similar brutal, immoral and illegal tactic, using inaccurate and internationally banned weapons and ammunition, striking civilians and public places with disproportionate brutality. In this way, Russia seeks to intimidate and demoralize the people of Ukraine and the armed forces, to paralyze the state’s ability to act – in order to occupy Ukraine, that is, Russia implements this violence to achieve political goals,” said the head of the Seimas commission on foreign affairs, Richards Kohls.
The statement of the Seimas emphasizes that after the unprovoked Russian military attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022, twelve million Ukrainians were forced to leave their homes and more than five million were forced to leave their country. During that time, a number of human rights groups and international monitoring missions reported atrocities committed by Russian armed forces against Ukrainian civilians, including torture, rape, murder and mass detention of civilians in so-called filtration centers, as well as mass deportations, the statement said.
Less than 24 hours after Ukraine and Russia, through Turkey and the UN, signed an agreement to resume the export of grain blocked in Ukraine through the Black Sea, the July 23 missile attack by Russian forces on the Odesa port showed a disregard for its obligations, the international order and its institutes
The statement of the Seimas mentions all the victims of Russian aggression in Ukraine and expresses solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.
