“It all started in Crimea in February 2014. By all accounts, this is also where it must end, with Crimea coming back as a part of the Ukrainian state” – President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda

President of the Republic of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda addressed numerous war crimes and human rights violations committed by Russian Armed Forces and occupying administrations in Crimea. In particular, Gitanas Nausėda mentioned that Russia is using occupied Crimea as a military base and its ships are launching rockets against the UNESCO Protected Heritage Site of the city of Odesa, its port infrastructure, grain storages and other civilian targets.

“Native Crimean Tatars, who suffered waves of ethnic cleansing and genocide at the hands of the Tsarist and Soviet regimes, deserve to build their national home free from discrimination and repressions”, Gitanas Nausėda claimed.

Furthermore, the President of the Republic of Lithuania emphasized that it is the duty of the international community to ensure that there is no impunity for all those violations of human rights and international humanitarian law in occupied Crimea.

Mr. Gitanas Nausėda reaffirmed Lithuania’s unwavering support for Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity.