“The people of Ukraine are sacrificing lives for their freedom and ours. They are fighting for the right to sovereignty and self‑determination, which, in our view, is the foundation of freedom. We stand up for Ukraine, because Ukraine is standing up for us,” emphasised Inese Voika, Deputy Secretary of the Saeima, on Monday, 21 March, in Vilnius, referring to the statement on the need to improve Ukraine’s air defence. The statement was adopted today in Vilnius, capital of Lithuania, at a conference dedicated to promoting the support of European Union and NATO politicians for the opposition in Belarus.
The statement stresses that the atrocious humanitarian disaster, where innocent people are murdered, lives are ruined, and families are torn apart, demands decisive action of the free world.
The armed forces of Ukraine need to be able to protect Ukrainian people against the aggressive war. This includes, among other things, airspace defence and the ability to stop armed military movement. As underlined in the statement, this can be done by supplying anti‑armor and anti‑aircraft weapons, which need urgent reinforcements.
Referring to the statement, Voika noted that the Ukrainian people deserve access to humanitarian assistance necessary to protect the citizens and save the lives of those wounded by this savage attack.
Another important focus of the statement is on Ukraine’s nuclear infrastructure, highlighting that electric power plants and waste disposal sites pose a threat to all neighbours. As expressed in the statement, it is important that Russia acknowledges its duties as a belligerent power and complies with the Geneva Conventions, including the provisions restricting attack against dams and nuclear power plants in cases when floods or radioactivity may lead to severe casualties among civilians.
The actions of the Kremlin constitute a war of aggression. It is a disruption of peace in Europe, and it is causing war crimes. We need to support Ukraine’s military and civil defence, provide humanitarian assistance, and protect the locations that pose a threat to us all, explained Voika, referring to the statement.
“Today, support for a democratic Belarus is closely tied with the support of the whole world for Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s attack,” said Voika, emphasising that the Third Vincent Kalinoŭski Forum, named after a 19th century Belarusian freedom fighter, focussed, among other things, on strengthening parliamentary support for the work of the Belarusian opposition.
Saeima Press Service