Latvian Parliament Declares Russia a Sponsor of Terrorism

As the news agency notes, the Latvian parliament after the recognition of the Russian Federation as a sponsor of terrorism. The deputies called on the EU countries to immediately suspend the issuance of visas to Russians and Belarusians. thus, Latvia became the first state in the world to declare Russia a sponsor of terrorism, Kommersant writes.

In response, the Russian Foreign Ministry called the calls of a number of countries to stop issuing Schengen visas to Russians as an open manifestation of chauvinism.

According to EADaily , the statement "On pinpoint military strikes by Russia against the Ukrainian civilian population and public space" was first adopted by the parliamentary commission on foreign affairs. Then the document was submitted for consideration to the full composition of the Seimas.

A statement from the Latvian parliament said that "Russia is purposefully using suffering and intimidation as a tool in its attempts to demoralize the Ukrainian people and military forces, to paralyze Ukraine's ability to act in order to occupy its territory."

According to parliamentarians, such a policy should not go unpunished. Deputies of the Latvian Seimas called on NATO countries and their allies to "immediately strengthen and introduce comprehensive sanctions against the Russian Federation in order to prevent the Russian army from continuing military aggression in Ukraine."

Earlier it was reported that the probable suspension of the issuance of visas to citizens of the Russian Federation and Belarus could be included in the next package of Western sanctions, which the EU authorities are now discussing.

Sanctions against the Russian Federation and Belarus were introduced after February 24, when Russia, with the support of Belarus, launched a military operation on the territory of Ukraine. The Russian authorities called its goal the “denazification” and “demilitarization” of Ukraine, as well as the protection of the republics of Donbass.

Western countries called the incident an act of military aggression by the Russian Federation against a European state and began to take economic and political measures to force Russia to cease hostilities on the territory of Ukraine as soon as possible.