Ukraine must join NATO: eliminating security grey areas in Europe

On October 24, 2023, the Czech Parliament hosted the Second Parliamentary Summit of the International Crimean Platform with representatives from 51 countries of the world.

Participants of the Platform expressed their intention to support the provision of political, diplomatic, military, security, financial, humanitarian and other forms of assistance to Ukraine, as well as to support Ukraine on its path toward EU membership.

ZMINA publishes the speech of Radvilė Morkūnaitė-Mikulėnienė, Deputy Speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, at the Second Parliamentary Summit of the Crimean Platform.

I come from a country which knows what the Russian occupation, killings and mass deportations to Siberia, including newborns and children, means.

Russian Empire, Soviet Union, current Russian Federation – through centuries, we witnessed different names but, unfortunately, the same brutal aspirations.

For the past few decades, many have thought that economic interests drive Russia and, therefore, will be respecting international rules. However, Georgia in 2008, Crimea in 2014 and Ukraine now show that Russia doesn’t stop. We have to stop it.

When I was a child 30 years ago, I witnessed freedom-defending civilians killed by Soviet troops on the streets of Vilnius. I thought it was the last time we saw something like that. I gave birth to my second child on the very same day Russians bombed the maternity ward in Mariupol.

We must stand with Ukraine until its total victory. That must be very clear to everyone: no semi-peace or other kind of settlements but a victory with regained occupied territories with Zelensky’s Peace Formula.

We have to work to fully implement the decisions of the Bucharest, Madrid and Vilnius summits toward the definitive elimination of the security grey areas in the EU by inviting Ukraine to NATO.

We have to provide Ukraine with all assistance needed to achieve membership in the EU and call on the institutions of the EU to start negotiations on Ukraine’s membership by the end of 2023.

We have to adopt a 12th solid sanctions package. We have to provide Ukraine with ammunition.

We need a special tribunal to hold Russia and Belarus accountable for the crimes and aggression they carried out.

We cannot get tired. For the sake of the values we preach and for the sake of our future.