The Seimas of Latvia recognized Russia as a state that supports terrorism

On Thursday, August 11, the Seimas of Latvia adopted a resolution effectively recognizing Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism.

This is reported by Delfi.

The Seimas approved the statement "On Russiaʼs targeted military attacks on civilians and the public space of Ukraine." The document states that Russiaʼs actions against Ukrainians are terrorism, and the Russian Federation is recognized as a state that supports terrorism.

The document states that Latvia considers Russiaʼs actions in Ukraine as targeted genocide against the Ukrainian people. The statement mentions funding and support for Donbas separatists in 2014, persecution of Crimean residents, rocket attacks on residential areas of Ukrainian cities, an attack on a shopping center in Kremenchuk, and the alleged killing of prisoners in Olenivka.

In the statement of the Seimas it is said:

• Russia purposefully persecutes the Ukrainian population, resorting to torture and violence in order to occupy Ukraine, demoralizing and paralyzing the ability to resist;
• Latvia calls on other like-minded countries to express the same opinion;
• Latvia categorically condemns the military aggression of the Russian Federation with the support and participation of the Belarusian regime;
• Latvia calls on the Euro-Atlantic community and its partners to urgently introduce and strengthen comprehensive sanctions against the Russian Federation, as well as to provide Ukraine with more military, financial and humanitarian support;
• Latvia calls for the introduction of equivalent sanctions against Belarus as a supporter of Russian aggression;

In addition, the Seimas calls on the member states of the European Union to immediately suspend the validity of tourist visas and limit the issuance of visas to citizens of the Russian Federation and Belarus.

• In August, Latvia stopped issuing visas to Russians. The government of the Czech Republic also decided not to issue visas and temporary residence permits to citizens of Russia and Belarus until the end of March 2023.
• On August 9, Estonia and Finland proposed to the EU to stop issuing tourist visas to Russians. In Latvia, they want to stop renewing previously issued residence permits.