Juknevičienė: we must support nations seeking democracy and freedom

Member of the European Parliament and former president of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly Rasa Juknevičienė participated in the virtual event NATO and Ukraine: Vision-2030 on Tuesday. The event was intended to discuss Ukraine’s NATO prospects, and was organised by the Ukrainian delegation to the NATO PA. The event featured NATO PA president Gerald E. Connolly, Ukrainian and French NATO PA delegation representatives, and Ukrainian members of parliament amongst others.

“Two years ago, the principle of Euro-Atlantic integration was introduced into the Ukrainian Constitution, and so it is the perfect time to discuss the status of transatlantic relations because it is crucial for not only countries such as Ukraine and Georgia, but also the entire region,” said MEP R. Juknevičienė.

Speaking about the importance of transatlantic relations and current events, the MEP noted that “after several decades of dreaming of a [democratic] Europe from Lisbon to Vladivostok, we must rethink our relations with the aggressive Stalin-worshipping regime in the Kremlin, and the transatlantic relationship must ensure the containment of aggression.”

In a comment on High Representative of the European Union Josep Borrell’s visit to Moscow, she said that afterwards, there should be no more illusions that Putin will change and that a democratic Europe from Lisbon to Vladivostok is possible with this regime.

“In this sense, Borrell’s visit was successful. The situation is deteriorating and will only continue to do so.   Like never before, a robust joint transatlantic policy is necessary today, and its importance is not solely related to the Russian factor. It also encompasses the search for a coordinated policy towards China, and other emerging security problems,” said R. Juknevičienė.

She emphasised that one of the most important criteria is the vector, which must unite our strategy, tactics and actions, along with the protection of democracy, its spread and entrenchment in the European continent.

“In this sense, I do imagine a democratic space in Europe ranging from Lisbon to Vladivostok. This is the only way I can imagine the long-term goals of transatlantic relations,” the MEP said.

According to the MEP, without Ukraine, Putin cannot create its empire, and that “the future of Ukraine is one of the most important cornerstones.” “Today, we see that Belarus too is no longer a guaranteed member of the Kremlin’s alliance, and as such, in order to ensure peace in Europe, we must support the nations seeking democracy and freedom because democracies do not war,” R. Juknevičienė noted.