The European Parliament has reacted to the actions of Belarus against Valdas Adamkus: the end of the barrier seems to have come

– What was the mood in the EP when the resolution calling for the extension of sanctions against Belarus and the establishment of the International Court of Justice in Lukashenko was adopted? How are they in general during this period? Unit? Fear of the future? On the one hand, it seems that the actions of Belarus have turned into a fight without rules, and you mentioned that the threat that Belarus poses to the EU has not been sufficiently evaluated so far. Are you qualified now and what will the response be like?

– The results of the vote on the resolution condemning the Belarusian regime are a good example of the mood in the European Parliament. 626 votes in favor, 16 against and 36 abstentions. Generally, when considering similar resolutions, the EP has a greater debate with diverse opinions and speeches. Similar concerns are often expressed about one or another concern about the lack of democracy. This time, however, the EP is broadly united and not only expresses its concern, but is unequivocally in favor of concrete actions, specific sanctions against the Lukashenko regime.

– He has proposed a provision in the resolution condemning the summons of Belarus to question President Valdas Adamkus. How do you assess a call of this type and what do you think it points to?

– I am convinced that in flashes such as the invitation to question President Adamkus, Mr. Lukashenko seeks to put pressure on countries that have shown leadership in their statements and actions in the fight against hostile, anti-European and anti-democratic forces. Particular attention was paid to countries that actively mobilized all EU members for a united and strong response. Lukashenko has full financial, military and security support from Russia and poses a threat to both Lithuania and the EU as a whole.

The Baltic states are active critics of the Lukashenko regime, especially after the illegal presidential elections in Belarus. The situation was similar in Latvia, when Minsk brought a criminal case against the mayor of Riga and the head of Latvian diplomacy. Like my proposal to Mr Adamkus, a similar provision was adopted in the resolution for Latvian officials condemning the actions of Mr Lukashenko’s regime. Mr. Lukashenko is trying to intimidate, manipulate and confuse society, and such actions can be directed against any EU country.

– Some of the Lithuanian population fear that if the conflict between Lithuania and Russia and Belarus escalates, we will not receive enough support from the EU. What do you think about this? How did the EP react to Mr Lukashenko’s ambitions for Mr Adamkus and his proposal to publicly condemn them? Can we confidently say that we have strong backing for the EU?

– The provision I have proposed to condemn Belarus’ invitation to question President Valdas Adamkus has been included in the text of the resolution with the support of the Green / ALE political group. This text has also been endorsed by other groups in the European Parliament. During the vote in plenary, no one suggested changing or deleting this provision.

This unit was felt more strongly after the Lukashenko regime hijacked a Ryanair plane flying to Vilnius with EU citizens. The EU has just imposed new sanctions on senior Belarusian officials, banning them from entering the EU and freezing their assets. The sanctions for 76 natural persons and 8 legal persons came into effect immediately. This list of natural and legal persons will be completed. At the political level, the introduction of sectoral financial sanctions was also agreed and steps are being taken to show that sanctions will be strengthened. In my opinion, the urgent and serious response shows that the support of the EU is strong.

– Establishment of an international tribunal for the Lukashenko regime. Perhaps you can comment on this idea in more detail and when could it become a reality?

– The European Parliament resolution provides for the establishment of an International Court of Justice to investigate the crimes of the Lukashenko regime. We are waiting for concrete action from the EU institutions. The crimes committed by the Lukashenko regime must be assessed internationally, as the Belarusian courts are dependent on the regime. Therefore, it is important that EU countries assess these crimes, the damage caused by the regime and establish sanctions for them. Even if Belarus refuses to extradite the criminals or cooperate, a proper and fair legal assessment would be an important step to properly assess the actions of the Belarusian regime and its supporters. The information war declared by Belarus, backed by Putin, masks the crimes of the regime, misleads EU citizens and threatens the democracies of EU countries. EU unity and a strong response are necessary to maintain stability within the EU and meet the expectations of people in need of change within Belarus.