Amid the war in Ukraine, Latvia MPs have officially declared Russia a state sponsor of terrorism, stressing that its actions amount to targeted genocide against the Ukrainians, and called on other European and other like-minded countries to also express the same opinion.
Latvian MPs’ statement says Russia commits violence against civilians in pursuit of political aims, condemning at the same time its use of cluster munitions to indiscriminately kill civilians sow and fear.
They accused Moscow of attempting to demoralize the Ukrainian people and armed forces by using suffering and intimidation as tools in order to paralyze the functioning of the state and to occupy Ukraine.
Stressing that Russia’s invasion was carried out with the support and involvement of the Belarusian regime, the Latvian parliament also urged the EU to stop issuing tourist visas for Russian and Belarusian citizens. to cut down on entry visas in general and urged further sanctions on Minsk.
Previously, Estonia was the first to call for such measures, but some analysts have voiced against such a measure, calling it a slippery slope that could restrict the travel rights of innocent civilians.
Russia has condemned the resolution issued by Latvia’s parliament resolution with Russian foreign ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova pointing out that Latvian ideologues behind this decision are nothing more than neo-Nazis considering that there is no substance, except for animalistic xenophobia, to justify their actions.