Latvian parliament declares Russia ‘state sponsor of terrorism’

Latvian MPs on Thursday adopted a statement declaring Russia a “state sponsor of terrorism” and said its actions in Ukraine constituted “targeted genocide against the Ukrainian people.”

The statement said the parliament “recognizes Russia as a state sponsor of terrorism, and calls on other like-minded countries to express the same view.”

MPs said they considered “Russia’s violence against civilians committed in pursuit of political aims as terrorism.”

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They also condemned its use of cluster munitions “to sow fear and indiscriminately kill civilians.”

Russia “uses suffering and intimidation as tools in its attempts to demoralize the Ukrainian people and armed forces and paralyze the functioning of the state in order to occupy Ukraine,” the statement said.

The parliament also urged the European Union to stop issuing tourist visas for Russian and Belarusian citizens and to cut down on entry visas in general.

It said Russia’s invasion was carried out “with the support and involvement of the Belarusian regime” and called on the international community to impose on Belarus the same sanctions adopted against Russia.

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