Saeima, Latvia’s parliament on Thursday officially designated Russia as a “state sponsor of terrorism,” according to Saeima Press Service.
In a statement, the Saeima calls on the countries of the European Union 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 various ways – directly and indirectly – as the largest supplier of weapons to the Assad regime in Syria and as an enforcer in cases such as the poisoning of the Skripal family or the downing of the MH-17 plane. In Ukraine, Russia has chosen similar cruel, immoral and illegal tactics, using imprecise and internationally banned weapons and ammunition, targeting civilians and public places with disproportionate brutality. In order to achieve the goals of its illegal, aggressive war, Russia thus seeks to intimidate and demoralize the Ukrainian people 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,” stated Rihards Kols, chairman of the Saeima Foreign Affairs Commission.
In a statement, the Saeima notes that since Russia’s unprovoked military attack on Ukraine on February 24, 2022, twelve million Ukrainians have been forced to leave their homes and more than five million have had to leave their country. During this time, a number of human rights protection groups and international monitoring missions have reported on atrocities committed by the Russian armed forces against Ukrainian civilians, including torture, rape, murders and mass detentions of civilians in so-called filtration centers, as well as mass deportations, the statement said.
Less than 24 hours after Ukraine and Russia signed an agreement through Turkey and the United Nations to resume exports of grain blocked in Ukraine across the Black Sea, the missile attack by Russian forces on the port of Odesa on July 23 demonstrated its contempt for its obligations, the international order and its institutions, as also deliberately continued to deepen the global food crisis, which will cause hunger and suffering around the world, say parliamentarians.
In a statement, the Saeima emphasizes that Russia uses suffering and intimidation as a tool in its attempts to demoralize the Ukrainian people and the armed forces, to paralyze the state’s ability to act in order to occupy Ukraine. The Saeima recognizes Russia’s violence against civilians, which is carried out to achieve political goals, as terrorism and Russia as a state supporting terrorism, and calls on other like-minded countries to express such an opinion.
Parliamentarians categorically condemn the military aggression of the Russian Federation and the large-scale invasion of Ukraine, carried out with the support and involvement of the Belarusian regime, call on the Euro-Atlantic community and its partners to urgently strengthen and introduce comprehensive sanctions against Russia, including the European Union members to immediately stop tourism and limit the issuance of entry visas to Russia for citizens of the Federation and Belarus.
The Saeima’s statement mentions all the victims of Russian aggression in Ukraine and expresses solidarity with Ukraine and the Ukrainian people.
Ukraine’s foreign minister, Dmytro Kuleba, posted on Twitter that he was grateful for the resolution.
“Ukraine encourages other states and organizations to follow suit,” Kuleba wrote.
At least 5,401 civilians have been killed and 7,466 injured since the Russia-Ukraine war began on Feb. 24, according to UN estimates. The true toll is believed to be much higher.
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