Speeches

Mr President, honourable Commissioner, what we have now heard is deplorable. We hear this through the Kremlin's propaganda channels. This is unacceptable as we hear from the European Parliament's rostrum. I have to say that. We do not want to get used to and should not get used to Lukashenka's cruelty. It is not only cruel to the Belarusian people. For him, a person can be like a mine or a bomb used for hybrid warfare against the European Union. The Minsk regime, backed by the Kremlin, is electing tourists from Iraq and other countries to take them to the European Union border and push them into our territory. We have shown that we are able to withstand attacks of this kind, but the threats remain. The key to stopping this hybrid war is to stop Lukashenko while showing the Kremlin not to try to increase the flow of migrants. We need to mobilise all forces to set up a tribunal... (The Chair takes the floor from the speaker)

Madam President, I will talk about the part of the Chinese nation that is called Taiwan. This country is probably the most important today when we think about China’s future, not to mention Hong Kong, whose democracy-preserving leaders are already in jail. The government of my country has already announced that a Taiwanese Representative Office will be established in Lithuania. Many in the EU support it. The US has already expressed strong support to Lithuania. I urge the Commission and the Council to support Lithuania and Taiwan in developing cultural, economic and diplomatic relations, and to condemn China’s economic sanctions against Lithuania over this issue. Lithuania and Taiwan setting up representative offices did not violate the EU’s ‘One China’ policy. I call for a real action to contribute to a safer EU, a safer world. Only by supporting democracies can we contribute to that.

Madam President, I want to congratulate Andrius. He worked hard and from his heart, because he sincerely believes that there is a possible future for a different Russia. The Kremlin likes to call many of us ‘Russophobes’, but we are exactly the opposite. Putin is the biggest Russophobe of all. He is afraid of Russians. He is afraid of the upcoming elections. That is why he has already eliminated all possible competition. It is clear that the upcoming Duma elections will not be real elections, but another Kremlin manipulation. They have already lost their legitimacy. It is good that the report addresses this. This report is significant. We can see that from the reaction of the Kremlin and its proxies. Now they monitor and react to every related development. I invite all those whose hands are not tied by the Kremlin to vote in favour and to unite towards a clear and effective strategy to address the authoritarian regimes around us.

Madam President, I was among those who believed that the brutal fanaticism in Afghanistan would recede. But it came back. Perhaps, this is the specific path of this country – long and turbulent. I am also mostly concerned about the Afghan women, many of whom I had a chance to meet. But my message today is about us. We have to learn lessons, but I reject angry forecasts about the ultimate defeat of the West and of the role of the US. I do not believe that the EU should part with the US and start building full autonomy in EU defence. We need a smart EU strategy to be able to act as the EU where we are able to act – on hybrid attacks against us and on helping our neighbourhood countries ensure their security. But, today, preserving a strong Euro—Atlantic bond is more important than ever. It is crucial. Democracy versus dictatorship. This is the big battle that we have to fight together with our partners in the US.