What Petras spoke about.

16

Feb

2023

EN Speech

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The further repressions against the people of Belarus, in particular the cases of Andrzej Poczobut and Ales Bialiatski (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, Lukashenko’s Belarus is a textbook dictatorship – dissidents are enemies of the state, they must be destroyed, otherwise their independent and critical voice will become a threat to the monopoly of power. Lukashenko’s courts have set out to imprison the head of the Viasna Human Rights Centre and Nobel Peace Prize winner, Ales Bialiatski, and his deputy,…

15

Feb

2023

EN Speech

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The recent deterioration of the inhuman imprisonment conditions of Alexey Navalny and other political prisoners in Russia

Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, Putin’s war against neighbours and so-called internal enemies is increasingly reminiscent of the Stalin repressions and the rise of totalitarianism. In an environment of growing repressions, no one feels safe. The opposition is silenced by the prevailing fear, and the Kremlin itself is gripped by the sense of uncertainty about its future. A policy of…

15

Feb

2023

EN Speech

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One year of Russia’s invasion and war of aggression against Ukraine (debate)

Madam President, Council and Commission representatives, dear colleagues, Russia’s imperial chauvinism has triggered war in Ukraine, fuelled tensions and instability, and condemned the Ukrainian people to unprecedented suffering. For a whole year we have been hearing lies, slander and threats from Russia, whose intentions remain unchanged – ready to continue the war in the near future. Stopping an…

2

Feb

2023

EN Speech

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Situation of the former President of Georgia Mikheil Saakashvili (debate)

Madam President, Council representative, Commissioner, dear colleagues, the current Georgian Government claims to be pro-European and wants closer ties with the West. At the same time, society is deeply polarised and there is a fierce political struggle that ignores elementary political culture. Mikheil Saakashvili, the former Georgian President who awakened Georgia and changed the country beyond …

2

Feb

2023

EN Speech

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Preparation of the EU-Ukraine Summit (debate)

Madam President, Council representative, Commissioner, dear colleagues, as a project for peace and cooperation, the European Union has withstood many historical challenges, and remains highly appreciated and enjoyed by its citizens. Ukraine’s aspiration to join our Union is an understandable logical and right choice. For Ukraine, European Union membership means choosing between democracy and Russi…

1

Feb

2023

EN Speech

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Situation in Afghanistan (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, the Taliban regime in Afghanistan is reversing the progress of the last 20 years, which we helped to build. Life in the country is becoming a misery. Half of its population – Afghan women and girls – have become victims of gender apartheid. We, as the European Union, and the rest of the world cannot accept this situation and remain silent. The United…

17

Jan

2023

EN Speech

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The establishment of a tribunal on the crime of aggression against Ukraine (debate)

Madam President, Mr Commissioner, dear colleagues, 76 years ago, the international military tribunal against the criminals who plotted and carried out aggression as evil ended at Nuremberg. The world then did justice to the brown plague of Nazism, but we read plague of Sovietism survived. And already in 2022, Russian chauvinism and military, militaristic Sovietism have committed the most serious c…

17

Jan

2023

EN Speech

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The EU’s response to the appalling attack against civilians in Dnipro : strengthening sanctions against the Putin regime and military support to Ukraine (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, colleagues, Russia’s war crimes in Ukraine have become an integral part of Russia’s image, a way of life and at the same time a dead end. Meanwhile, I had hoped that we in the European Union had realised that Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is a war against us all. This aggressor must be defeated. Therefore, when I hear the Austrian foreign minister calling for a…

17

Jan

2023

EN Speech

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Human rights and democracy in the world and the European Union’s policy on the matter - annual report 2022 (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, I appreciate the work done by the rapporteur, my colleague, Ms Wiseler—Lima. She did a good job connecting all of us as one team and streamlining our work. The past year has been full of geopolitical upheavals, new political challenges and moves towards weakening or even abandoning international human-rights standards. The European Union, as an organisa…

15

Dec

2022

EN Speech

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The humanitarian situation in Ukraine due to Russia’s attacks against critical infrastructure and civilian areas (debate)

Mr President, Madam Commissioner, dear colleagues, Russia’s military aggression against European Ukraine is based on an attempt to create a critical humanitarian situation by cutting off access to energy, healthcare, food and other essential services and goods. The current Russian leadership is using the genocidal crimes that were mastered long ago by Imperial Russia or the Soviet authorities. Rus…

15

Dec

2022

EN Speech

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90 years after Holodomor: Recognising the mass killing through starvation as genocide (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, 90 years ago, the Soviet Government’s attempts to break the will of the people of Ukraine and other regions, to force them to accept the Soviet regime and the abandonment of private property and agriculture turned into a bloody action: the Holodomor. The Soviet Government, which called itself socialist, supposedly working for the good of the people, …

14

Dec

2022

EN Speech

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Defending democracy from foreign interference (debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, foreign interference and attacks on our democracy’s fundamentals should be treated as hybrid attacks and crimes, which must be punished accordingly. We must understand that such attempts are primarily directed against our citizens and their democratic and free choice. Therefore our response should include, among other measures, sanctions against third—c…

23

Nov

2022

EN Speech

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The continuing repression of the democratic opposition and civil society in Belarus

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, Belarus is a hostage of post-Soviet tyranny. The prosecution of critics and political opponents and fierce violence continue to dominate the Lukashenko regime’s policies. This year’s Nobel Peace Prize for the Belarus human rights organisation ‘Vesna’ is a symbol of the understanding we all have of what is really happening in Belarus and of the support e…

23

Nov

2022

EN Speech

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The Human rights situation in Afghanistan especially the deterioration of women´s rights and attacks against educational institutions

Mr President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, the return of the Taliban to power in Afghanistan has turned this country, ravaged by decades of conflict and tension, into a radical Islam reserve where entire social groups, primarily minorities and women, have become second-class citizens. The Taliban’s systematic action in restricting women’s social and political rights and denying girls access to e…

23

Nov

2022

EN Speech

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Amending Council Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2020/2093 of 17 December 2020 laying down the multiannual financial framework for the years 2021 to 2027 - Amending Regulation (EU, Euratom) 2018/1046 as regards the establishment of a diversified funding strategy as a general borrowing method - 'Macro-Financial Assistance+' instrument for providing support to Ukraine for 2023 (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, Minister, dear colleagues, who may deny that our excellent decision – I mean to call on Russia as a state—sponsor of terrorism. Our IT systems are down. I think it’s a very clear message. Moscow is watching us, following and making some conclusions. Good luck for you. You will be down, not us. Today, colleagues, more than ever, Ukraine is facing a greater need for ex…

19

Oct

2022

LT Speech

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Lukashenka regime's active role in the war against Ukraine (debate)

Madam President, Commissioners, honourable colleagues. Lukashenko, who has illegally seized power in Belarus, continues to support Russia’s aggression and is directly involved in the war against Ukraine. Last summer, with the help of migrants, Lukashenko launched a hybrid attack against neighbouring countries of the European Union: Lithuania, Poland and Latvia. Today, he empowers Russia’s aggressi…

18

Oct

2022

EN Speech

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Recognising the Russian Federation as a state sponsor of terrorism (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, do we have enough evidence that Russia is committing state terrorism during the war of aggression against Ukraine? Yes indeed. At this very moment, Russia is carrying out massive missile strikes against Ukrainian cities and critical infrastructure. It is enough to remember the strikes on the Kramatorsk railway station and the Mariupol theatre, with c…

18

Oct

2022

EN Speech

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Impact of Russian invasion of Ukraine on migration flows to the EU (debate)

Mr President, dear Commissioner, dear colleagues, Putin’s Russian aggression against peaceful Ukraine is destroying homes and lives. It is causing terror, uncertainty and pain for the people of Ukraine. The Russian invasion of Ukraine has turned more than 7 million innocent Ukrainians into refugees, more than the entire population of Bulgaria, or two of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The brutal actions a…

6

Oct

2022

EN Speech

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Russia’s escalation of its war of aggression against Ukraine (RC-B9-0430/2022/REV, B9-0430/2022, B9-0432/2022, B9-0433/2022, B9-0438/2022, B9-0446/2022) (vote)

Madam President, as the war of aggression of Russia against Ukraine goes on and on, it gets more complicated, in various forms of intimidation and annexation. Just recently, Putin announced about the confiscation of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power station, the far biggest in Europe, and it happens just days before the head of the International Atomic Energy Agency visits Moscow and Kyiv. So, colleagues…

5

Oct

2022

EN Speech

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The situation of human rights in Haiti in particular related to gang violence

Mr President, Mr Commissioner, dear colleagues, Haitians have become hostages to widespread organised gang crime. Their future is determined by criminals seeking only personal gain. The deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the country is devastating. Insecurity and lawlessness have taken over. The COVID pandemic, the economic crisis, the conspiracy against the President and the earthquak…

5

Oct

2022

EN Speech

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Humanitarian situation after the devastating floods in Pakistan and the climate crisis (debate)

Mr President, Mr Commissioner, Minister, dear colleagues, allow me, first of all, to begin by expressing the condolences of the Renew Europe Group to all the people of Pakistan, and in particular to those affected by the catastrophic flooding caused by monsoon rains this summer. Special condolences to the people of Balochistan and Sindh provinces. In September, we, as a delegation, visited Pakista…

5

Oct

2022

EN Speech

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Countering the anti-European and anti-Ukrainian propaganda of Putin’s European cronies (topical debate)

Mr President, Commissioner, Minister, dear colleagues, the Kremlin’s long—term, systematic and very poisonous disinformation and propaganda war against the West has been aimed at weakening our value orientation and our adequate perception of reality. Let’s admit, Russia’s state information policy has imposed influence on us and our partners’ – such as Ukraine in particular – societies for decades…

5

Oct

2022

EN Speech

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Russia’s escalation of its war of aggression against Ukraine (debate)

Madam President, President of the Commission, High Representative, ministers, dear colleagues, it’s probably time to end our empty insignificant disagreements and to focus on real things, on things which shape the present world and our future. Putin, who claims to be the ruler of the world, wanted to conquer Ukraine and enslave its people in three days. Not only has this failed, but it has turned …

14

Sep

2022

EN Speech

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Human rights violations in the context of forced deportation of Ukrainian civilians to and forced adoption of Ukrainian children in Russia

Madam President, Commissioner, dear colleagues, Putin and his regime are stealing Ukrainian children and the country's future. By forcibly deporting Ukrainian civilians, by changing their citizenship, by allowing the speedy adoption of Ukrainian children, and by rewriting Ukrainian textbooks in the occupied territories of Ukraine, he and his entourage are seeking to destroy the Ukrainian identity …

6

Jul

2022

EN Speech

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Facilitating export of Ukrainian agricultural products: key for Ukrainian economy and global food security (debate)

Madam President, Commissioner, Minister, this week Ukrainians began harvesting their vast, fertile fields. More than 40 million tonnes of grain are expected. Whether this and last year’s harvest will be delivered to the dozens of countries where this grain means starvation or life will depend to a large extent on our immediate action. Russia will take no steps to prevent famine in many countries i…