Debate contributions by Rasa JUKNEVIČIENĖ

Dear colleagues! I never thought I would have to take part in a debate about threats to democracy in my country. The main reason for this is the decision of the Lithuanian Social Democrats to form a coalition with a party whose goal is to create chaos in a country whose chairman has been convicted of anti-Semitism, with a party which, in my opinion, is one of the Kremlin's tools in Lithuania. Lies, manipulations, attacks on journalists, culture, people, hatred – all of which are now on the political agenda of Lithuania’s ruling coalition. I therefore very much welcome the S&D political group in the European Parliament, which has joined the draft joint resolution. All anti-democratic developments start with the same attempt to restrict and take over national broadcasters. It is worth recalling the words from Ursula von der Leyen's last annual report. I quote: "The seizure of independent media is often the first step in authoritarian strategies that allow democratic decline and corruption to take place without public control". I will also quote one of the points in our draft resolution: "Attempts to divide society, undermine trust in democratic institutions and undermine independent media ecosystems are in line with the objectives of the hybrid warfare of the Russian Federation against the European Union and its Member State aimed at reducing democratic resilience. Underlines that strong and independent public media are the main line of defence against such hostile interference’. About 40,000 people gathered in Vilnius a month ago on a cold day to defend freedom of speech. One and a half hundred thousand in just a few days signed a petition against the political capture of the LRT. Our message from the European Parliament will be above all to Lithuanian citizens fighting for free speech and against the political subjugation of the national broadcaster, and to brave journalists who are not afraid to stand up for freedom of speech. We defended our freedom thirty-five years ago, and we will defend it now! The European Parliament must remain the main seat for defending democracy. What if it wasn't us?

Mr President, we do not yet know the full scale and brutality of the crime committed against its own people by the Iranian regime. It is possible that people are being killed there even as we speak. I support the EPP's call on the Council to designate the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps as a terrorist organisation and demand the immediate adoption of further sanctions against the regime. I have great respect for the brave people of Iran. I have lived under a dictatorship of communism and I know that, for thousands of people, taking to the streets is an almost impossible mission. But the brave Iranians did it, despite the terrible tragedy that has occurred. The regime's time is coming to an end, but there remains great bitterness about the actions of the US president. After encouraging protests, he suddenly backed down. This was a mistake. The fighting Iranian people truly deserve much greater support from all of us.

Mr President, no one disputes that Arctic security is important not only for the US, but also for us, Europe. It has long required much more serious attention and work – and we, the EU and NATO, can do this together. However, the crisis in NATO and the threats to Greenland and Denmark caused by President Trump are an even greater security challenge than the problems in the Arctic. I am trying to imagine a situation – that is now quite real – when the Kremlin demands that Moldova, for example, be given to Russia, because this is a vital security interest for them. Or the Baltic states. Already now, Kremlin propaganda boldly says that they will take Svalbard from Norway. Pandora's box has been opened. We in Europe must stay firm and unconditionally stand on the side of international law, Greenland and Denmark. I want to believe that the Americans will wake up from the nightmare that has gripped them.

Mr President, first of all, I would like to thank all my colleagues who worked hard to ensure that the Sakharov Prize was awarded to two imprisoned journalists. Despite the distance of more than few thousand kilometres between the prisons of Andzej Pozcobut and Mzia Amaglobeli, their fight for freedom is the same. How did it all start? Can this happen in our countries? In both ‑ in Belarus and Georgia ‑ everything started with democratic elections. The beginning was to suppress the media, national broadcasters first of all. It's important for us to analyse the path of these nations to the day when journalists ended up in prison, because our democracies are also under attack. The Sakharov Prize yesterday was about all the prisoners of conscience and freedom suffering in Lukashenka's and Bidzina Ivanishvili's prisons. We send them a clear message from the European Parliament - you are not alone. We see you, we hear you and we are trying to help you. You have many friends here in the European Parliament. However, the situation in Georgia is getting worse. I would like to draw your attention to a recent BBC investigation. It reveals that a chemical agent from the First World War was used in the suppression of protests in 2024. Chemicals were mixed into water cannons. This must be investigated and revealed. I call on the Commission and Council to react, to initiate an international independent investigation. The fact that the Georgian authorities are afraid of an independent investigation only shows that they are afraid of the truth and punishment. This shows that the facts revealed by the BBC are most likely true. We must help the struggling Georgian people, because Georgia is Europe.

Mr President, dear colleagues, in my country, Lithuania, the absolute majority of people believe in the European Union and they are waiting for even faster decisions, especially regarding aid to Ukraine, frozen assets, the Eastern Flank Watch and the European Drone Defence Initiative. People understand that the EU is becoming the mainstay not only of our prosperity, but also of our security. Our pensioners are not richer than the Spanish or Belgians, but they understand the scale of the threats well. In the Lithuanian budget, 5.38 % of GDP will be allocated to defence next year. The next couple of years will be the most dangerous for European security. I call on the leaders of the Member States to understand this and remember the famous expression of the American statesman James Freeman Clark: 'A politician thinks of the next election; a statesman thinks of the next generation.' European statesmen and stateswoman, let us think not only about next election, which is important, but also about the next generations.

I appreciate your thoughts on unity in the European Union, but I have to respond to the emotional accusations against the EPP of the Socialist leader, Iratxe García Pérez, regarding the votes here. But what do you do, Socialists, when your member, the Social Democrats in Lithuania – together with their antisemitic partners from the far right – are destroying the independence of the national broadcaster and want to strangle free speech? Journalists and thousands of people are protesting in Vilnius' streets. Where is your party's voice?

Madam President, dear colleagues, the latest facts in Lithuania and Poland once again prove that we are being attacked with various instruments to cause chaos, fear, and scare us away from supporting Ukraine. Just as migrants were used in the past, cigarette smugglers are now being deployed for the same purpose. We know how border security operates in Belarus: not even a mouse crosses the 5 km border zone without the knowledge and approval of its border guards. It is obvious that Putin’s proxy, Lukashenka, controls and directs these attacks. This activity is dangerous. It threatens Vilnius Airport, forces flights to stop, creates financial losses, disrupts passengers and endangers human lives. Today, meteorological balloons are used to transport cigarettes; tomorrow, they could carry explosives. This must be stopped. Sanctions remain the only language the Belarusian regime understands, and they are urgently needed. EU measures must include sanctions on Belarusian aviation, limits on fertiliser exports, and a ban on providing legal, audit and other professional services to Belarusian companies. Belarus is escalating tensions to draw Lithuania into political negotiations. It is resorting to blackmail, seizing trucks belonging to Lithuanian companies and refusing to release them. This is a cynical tactic: to initiate hostile actions so the victim is pressured to negotiate. We must act. We must respond now.

Mr President, colleagues, what happened last week is Putin's rescue plan. Russia is a monster on clay feet, like the collapsed USSR. And Putin desperately needs Washington's hand. Ukraine needs peace more than anything else. Russia wants to continue its aggressive policy. The only way to just and long-lasting peace is to help Ukraine to win and not be afraid to punish the aggressor. There will be no good, long-lasting deal with Putin – just as there was no good deal with Hitler. What is our role, the EU's? It is essential! Today we need a European plan not only for Ukraine's European future, but also for Russia. We need a plan not for Putin's rescue – which some in Washington are doing – but a plan for Russia to become a normal state. You say it's unrealistic. Let Putin lose in Ukraine; then we'll see. The most important strategic provision of the European plan is that Ukraine will become a member of the EU as soon as possible. We must already integrate Ukraine into all EU defence projects being developed. Today, Ukraine is no less important for our own security than the United States has been for us until now. We are on the right track, but the fruits of the strategic defence decisions we make now will come later. And the most dangerous period is now. There is a long and difficult road ahead. Let's not be afraid to speak openly to our people. We have no other choice. We have to take great responsibility for Europe's security.

Mr President, colleagues, we are at war. Kremlin hybrid warfare strategist, Kosatchev, openly says that their target is our societies. They want to change the thinking of the people. Lies are the main weapon and tool of the Kremlin. Unfortunately, Russian lies are constantly going out from the European Parliament platform through the Kremlin proxies. And they do this paid for by EU money, receiving salaries and even money to spread the Kremlin's narratives through social networks. What they are spreading here about Russia's war against Ukraine is not freedom of speech. This is the spread of a totalitarian ideology called Russkiy Mir. This is the same as if they were spreading Hitler's Nazi or Stalin's ideology. And finally, my request to socialists: your colleagues, Lithuanian Social Democrats, have formed a coalition with an openly anti-Semitic, far-right party of friends of the Kremlin. It, like Orbán, has started attacking the national broadcaster, intimidating its journalists. You must react and stop it, because this is where the protection of democracy begins – it must begin from ourselves. We have to fight and stop their lies, like Moldova did.

Mr President, this war is not only about Ukraine, but also about us. It is an existential war for all of Europe. Russkiy Mir – Russian World – ideology is a form of fascism, the same evil this continent has seen before. Wars are won first in people's minds, and we must win this war. We must stop trembling at every word coming from Washington, DC. One day Americans will realise that Putin is simply mocking their president. Europe is on the right path, but we need speed. Putin fears that his friend Orbán will lose, so he has turned to meet Trump in Budapest. This is an attempt to kill several birds with one stone: to humiliate Ukraine, to help Orbán and to further undermine EU unity. We must not give in. We must defend a free Europe.

Madam President, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya won the elections even though they were stolen from the Belarusian people through brutal force. Five years have passed, but no one in Belarus suddenly started loving the dictator Lukashenka. The Belarusian opposition, together with the elected President, stands as an example for other nations fighting against the same Kremlin tyranny and its proxies. They are not only working tirelessly to raise awareness of their nation's suffering; they are also clearly shaping an alternative vision – a European, democratic Belarus. Ukrainians, Moldovans, Georgians and Belarusians are all fighting for the same cause. They stand against Putin's aggressive Russian world – Russkiy Mir – ideology, which seeks to dominate a large part of Europe. Let's not grow tired of supporting Belarusian democratic forces. They are fighting for a safer, freer Europe. The more democracy there is to our east, the stronger and safer we all will be. Zhyve Belarus!

Madam President, dear colleagues, for the first time ever, I have decided to speak in a debate about Serbia – and not because my country, Lithuania, has long been Serbia's rival in basketball. I wanted to speak today to offer a message of encouragement. Serbia's choices matter – not only for its people, but for all of Europe. I fully support the students who are protesting and fighting for a democratic Serbia. Only a genuine and stable democracy built on openness can heal the pain and scars left by history. The completion of democratic Europe is not just a political goal; it's our shared existential mission. Democracies in Europe are the only way to lasting peace in our continent. I truly hope that the Serbian nation will find its future on the European path.

Madam President, my main message today is simple: let's take this step decisively. It is a crucial decision. The European Parliament's position has been clear since April 2022, when we first called for Russia to pay for the destruction it inflicted, including through the confiscation of Russian frozen assets, in full accordance with international law. Putin's Russia, which continues to harm Ukraine, must not get its money back until it has fully compensated for the damage it caused. I want to congratulate the European Commission and Council on finding a sound legal solution. We must stand in solidarity with Belgium and other Member States, and share the responsibility for this decision together. We are on the right path. Let's stand firm. Let's fight evil together.

Madam President, colleagues, the time of 'we are deeply concerned' is over. Russia tested NATO. Will NATO dare to respond adequately? It depends on the attitude of the United States. I only know one thing – let's stop waiting for a miracle. The only way is ourselves – Europe. It is absolutely clear what we must do. Firstly, Russia must be contained and defeated. Secondly, more help for Ukraine now. Thirdly, strengthen the eastern border, including the drone border now. What do we need to do here in the European Parliament? We need a shield from the Kremlin proxies, from Putin's friends inside who are poisoning people's minds with lies. When Putin stands in Lviv it will be too late. Wars are won first in the minds. We are already at war – let's fight.

Mr President, dear Moldovan brothers and sisters, we once suffered together under the Soviet Empire – losing lives, freedom and prosperity, and enduring forced Russification. Today, the absolute majority of Lithuanians are happy to live as a free European state. My country is the best example of what EU membership can give a nation. The upcoming elections in Moldova are existential. The Kremlin wants to drag you back with lies, saying Europe will ban your religion, force you to change your gender, make you participate in gay Pride parades or involve you in war. None of this is true! The Kremlin proxies will offer you money for your vote. They will scare you and lie to you. But I assure you: the EU strongly supports your membership. However, the choice is yours. I trust you will choose freedom, truth and your European future. Good luck, dear friends.

Madam President, dear colleagues, let's be clear: Ukraine and its European future are as important to European security today as the United States was to Europe in the decades after World War II. All normal people want peace. However, peace at the expense of Ukraine and on Russia's terms could be the beginning of a major catastrophe for all of Europe. Europe needs a strategy for Ukraine if Trump's bid to end the war fails. We need a European plan to lead the fight for Ukraine's and our future. Its core is to help contain Russia and integrate Ukraine into a pan-European defence alliance. What must we do today? Provide significantly greater financial support for Ukraine's defence. This is money for our own defence as well.

Madam President, dear colleagues: in agreement with the S&D, ECR, Renew and Greens groups, I would like to move an oral amendment to EPP amendment 9 on paragraph 4, changing the last sentence of the paragraph to read as follows: 'Calls, in the light of the blatant breach of the principles under Article 2, for the application of Article 422 of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement related to non-fulfilment of obligations.'

Madam President, dear colleagues, I am glad that, apart from a few MEPs who are always pro-Russian, all the other groups who have spoken today are on the side of a European Georgia. Thank you for that. Madam Commissioner, I know that you are also with the people of Georgia. I very much hope that the European Council will soon adopt the necessary position and that the Member States will take action, first of all, on sanctions against the regime. I appeal to the Danish Presidency to take the initiative to bring countries together – at least the willing countries – to put pressure on the regime for new, free and fair elections. This is the only way to help Georgia. Thank you very much, and I hope that tomorrow we will adopt this report with an overwhelming majority.

Madam President, dear colleagues, it is a very sad, but probably fitting coincidence that we are discussing the situation in Georgia on the same evening as the debate on Belarus. Who would have thought that Georgia – once the flag bearer of democracy, not only in the region, but among all Eastern Partnership countries – would turn into a Lukashenka-style autocracy? That today we would be speaking not only about Belarusians in Lukashenka's prisons, but also Georgians in Bidzina Ivanishvili’s prisons? I would like to thank all the pro-European political groups in the European Parliament and their appointed shadow rapporteurs for the excellent cooperation. The attacks by representatives of the Ivanishvili regime against Members of the European Parliament – even EU ambassadors – have only strengthened our common position. We understand that these statements do not reflect the views of the Georgian people. We see their struggle and we recognise their clear desire to continue on the path towards EU membership. As the situation has worsened since the AFET vote, new amendments by pro-European parties have been prepared, which I recommend we support. The main proposed changes include: updating the text to reflect the most serious recent developments, specifically the detention and politically motivated sentencing of almost all main opposition leaders and the legal persecution of prominent civil society organisations; and updating our position on the upcoming municipal elections, as due to the imprisonment of the key opposition leaders, these elections cannot be considered free and fair. There will also be two oral amendments. I propose we support both. One relates to the worsening health of Mzia Amaglobeli, an imprisoned journalist whose condition is rapidly deteriorating. She is losing her eyesight, has been denied proper medical care and remains behind bars for political reasons. Another amendment strengthens the language around the review of the EU-Georgia Association Agreement. It calls for immediate action as Georgia has clearly breached core democratic principles. I want to emphasise: the full responsibility for the possible suspension of Georgia's visa-free regime lies with Ivanishvili and his party. Visa-free travel is granted to democratic countries, not to regimes that imprison citizens for political reasons. Georgia matters to all Europe. The regime falsely claims that no one cares about the Georgian people. That is why their friends in the Kremlin and the far right, like ESN, have proposed amendments opposing Georgia's accession to the EU. No, we will not vote for that. The Georgian people, who have been fighting for a European Georgia for over 200 days, are true European heroes. They deserve our full respect and unwavering support.

Madam President, colleagues, I have decided to address you using the words of the Belarusians who continue to fight. The essence of this debate is captured in two quotes from Siarhei Tsikhanouski, who was just released from Lukashenka's prison. First, about Putin, I quote: 'Because of Putin, this illegal government is still in Belarus.' Second, about the situation of political prisoners, I quote: 'There were skin diseases and everyone had kidney problems from the cold – and no one really understood what was happening. Blood came out of my mouth, from my nose. Sometimes I had convulsions, but it was all because of the cold, that terrible cold when you sit in those punishment cells.' So what should we, the EU, do? Not to be afraid to defeat Putin and his puppet Lukashenka. Slava Ukraini! Zhyve Belarus!

Madam President, dear colleagues, my first message: engagement policies and economic dependence on autocratic regimes are dangerous. This is exactly what happened to us with Putin's Russia. Let's not make the same mistakes. Secondly, the EU-China Comprehensive Agreement on Investment cannot be ratified until China stops its economic coercion against EU Member States. China's economic coercive actions against Lithuania and the EU back in 2021 grossly violated the legal norms of the World Trade Organisation. These discriminatory trade restrictions, directed at an EU Member State, challenged the unity of the entire bloc. Failing to take appropriate action against China's economic coercion will cause long-term damage to the reputation of the European Union as a reliable geopolitical actor.

Yes, I think that we have to change our rules, especially on veto rights, at least in some decisions, like for example, sanctions or other issues. But now I think that we have to start negotiations with Ukraine as well as Moldova as soon as possible. Ukraine is ready to start negotiations, to open negotiation chapters now.

Mr President, I'll start with a Ursula von der Leyen quote: 'EU enlargement is an investment in our collective security'. I completely agree. A bit late, but very true words. One of the reasons why Putin started this war is the grey areas of insecurity in Europe. If we had had such an understanding and decisions, at least immediately after the annexation of Crimea, there is a high probability that Ukraine would not be attacked today. Not too late. We have that chance. It is necessary to seek consensus in our societies that enlargement is as important for the future of the EU as defence. In essence, enlargement is an integral part of our defence union. The unification of the European continent on the basis of democracies is in our own interests. Either a larger, secure, strong EU or Russia and China closer to our borders. Such an understanding requires leaders in each Member State. That's why I end my speech with a James Freeman Clark quote: 'A politician thinks of the next election, a statesman of the next generation'. At least, let's think about both, about the elections and about the next generations.

Mr President, dear colleagues, journalist Mzia Amaglobeli has become a symbol of all Georgians imprisoned by the Bidzina Ivanishvili regime. A week ago, representatives of brave Georgians, who have been fighting for a European Georgia for over 200 days, attended the DROI Subcommittee hearings in the European Parliament. But yesterday, the Russian oligarch Ivanishvili's regime launched a full-scale legal assault against them. The situation is getting worse every day. My speech this time will not be about the regime of the Kremlin's friends in Tbilisi. We have said everything about this in the resolutions adopted so far. We need to talk about us, the EU. I do not understand the silence from the European Council, the Member States and the High Representative office. Mzia and her friends deserve respect and help. Serious sanctions against the regime are needed. Everyone who gets their hands dirty is afraid of them. We need to put pressure on the regime in every way and not ask them to return to the EU path anymore. They will not return, because this regime is the Kremlin's dream. They lied to their people about their aspirations to the EU, they lied to us in the European Parliament and EU. Only new fair elections can help Georgians get their country back. EU political will is needed. There is almost no independent media left in Georgia, only Sputnik-type propaganda TV channels. By the way, I do not understand why they, who spread poison about the EU, are still active here, in the European Parliament. Let's act. The people of Georgia cannot be left alone.