Joint Declaration of Baltic Speakers: We must continue strengthening NATO’s eastern flank and supporting Ukraine

“Individually and with our NATO Allies we must continue strengthening collective defence and deterrence and border security in NATO’s eastern flank bordering Russia and Belarus. We look forward to concrete action on this goal at the forthcoming NATO Summit in Vilnius,” the Speakers emphasised in the Joint Declaration.

In their opinion, our focus must stay on assisting Ukraine. “Together with our Allies and partners we will continue providing all the necessary support to Ukraine, for as long as necessary, until Ukraine’s victory. We call on the whole international community to increase the support to Ukraine in its ongoing struggle for freedom and territorial integrity,” the Speakers noted, and called on called on establishing of a special international tribunal under the auspices of the UN General Assembly to prosecute the crime of aggression committed by the leadership of the Russian Federation.

The Speakers of the Baltic Parliaments expressed their conviction that ultimately Ukraine’s security in the long-run can be best guaranteed by collective defence of NATO, and called on NATO leaders to start a substantive process of inviting Ukraine to join NATO at the Summit in Vilnius.

The Speakers underlined that the Parliaments of the Baltic States had long labelled the Wagner mercenary group as terrorist organization for the atrocities committed by its members on the territory of Ukraine and against the Ukrainian population. “We reiterate our call on the European Union (EU) to include the Wagner mercenary group in the list of persons, groups and entities involved in terrorist acts (EU terrorist list) not least for the violence and instability the group spreads on the African continent and elsewhere,” they said.

According to the Speakers, the emergence of the Wagner mercenary group in Belarus could make the security situation on the eastern borders of NATO and the EU even more precarious. “We reiterate our condemnation of Lukashenko’s regime in Belarus for supporting Russia’s war against Ukraine. The harbouring of the terrorist organization Wagner group by Belarus is unacceptable and we call for further strengthening sanctions against Belarus,” the Speakers added.

The Joint Declaration was signed by President of the Riigikogu (Parliament) of Estonia Lauri Hussar, Speaker of the Saeima (Parliament) of Latvia Edvards Smiltēns and Speaker of the Seimas (Parliament) of Lithuania Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen.

Text of the Joint Declaration in Estonian and in English

Riigikogu Press Service
Karin Kangro
+372 631 6356, +372 520 0323
karin.kangro@riigikogu.ee
Questions: press@riigikogu.ee

Link uudisele: Joint Declaration of Baltic Speakers: We must continue strengthening NATO’s eastern flank and supporting Ukraine

Source: Parliament of Estonia