None of the diplomatic representatives of the EU and its member states accredited in Russia should participate in the upcoming inauguration ceremony of Vladimir Putin, scheduled for today, May 7, the European People’s Party faction of the European Parliament has informed the EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Giuseppe Borrell, about this position in a letter. The letter was signed by the chairman of the faction Manfrēds Vēbers and three deputies of the Baltic states – Sandra Kalniete from Latvia and Rasa Juknevičiene and Andrjus Kubilius from Lithuania.
Sandra Kalniete, Member of the European Parliament, faction of the European People’s Party: “Presidential “elections” in Russia were held in the best Soviet traditions, when the outcome of the election is already known in advance, all that remains is to throw the required number of ballots into the ballot boxes and record it in the vote counting protocol. Ambassadors of European countries must not legitimize this election farce with their presence at Putin’s inauguration. The actions of the European Union member states in relation to Russia and Putin’s regime must be united and consistent. Democracy cannot afford to be complacent in the face of an aggressor whose invasion of Ukraine threatens the peace of Europe as a whole. We must be aware that the decisive battle for the defeat of Putin’s regime and lasting peace in Europe is currently taking place in Ukraine.”
The group of the European People’s Party reminds in a letter to Giuseppe Borel that the presidential “elections” in Russia were illegitimate and undemocratic, therefore the presidency of Vladimir Putin is not recognized. The letter emphasizes that the “elections” took place in the illegally occupied territories of Ukraine, which is a clear violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and a clear violation of international law and, in particular, of the UN Charter. Even in Russia itself, the “elections” were neither free nor fair, they did not meet the basic international election standards, and therefore they were not democratic. Both the European Parliament and the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe pointed to this in their resolutions, stressing that the results of these “elections” will not be recognized.
The faction of the European People’s Party states that it is time to prove their words in deeds and the first step would be for all diplomatic representatives of the EU and its member states accredited in Russia not to participate in the upcoming inauguration ceremony.
In a letter, MEPs urge the international community to stop referring to Vladimir Putin as President of Russia once his current term expires on May 7, 2024, and to end all contact with him, noting that he will have neither the moral nor political mandate to close any future contractual relations on behalf of the Russian Federation. The faction of the European People’s Party also reminds that the International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin and he is accused of a war crime – the illegal deportation of Ukrainian citizens and especially children from the occupied territories in Ukraine to Russia.
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Member of the European Parliament, Sandra Kalniete, represents the party union JAUNĪ VĪNOĞĪBA and, fulfilling the given mandate to work in the European Parliament, works in the Foreign Affairs and International Trade Committees, as well as in the special committee on foreign interference in the democratic processes of the European Union, including extensive use of disinformation. The MP actively works within the framework of the Eastern Partnership to promote democratic processes in countries such as Ukraine, Moldova, Georgia and others.
The European People’s Party (EPP) group has been the largest in the European Parliament since 1999. Currently, the center-right political group has 177 members from all EU member states. Sandra Kalniete is ranked among the 100 most influential members of the European Parliament in the ranking of the non-governmental organization “VoteWatch Europe”.
Information prepared by:
Elina Bīviņa
Assistant to Sandra Kalnietes, Member of the European Parliament
Phone: 29405397, e-mail: [email protected]
Tags: boycott response member states ambassadors Putins inauguration ceremony
