The prime ministers of the three Baltic countries announced on Friday that they will call for criminal evasion and violation of sanctions against Russia in the European Union (EU), they said at a joint press conference in Tallinn, Estonia’s capital.
Following a meeting of the Baltic Council of Ministers, Latvian Prime Minister Krisjanis Karins indicated that “tougher sanctions” were needed against Russia and that attempts to circumvent these restrictions should be punished “across Europe”.
He added that the disproportionate trade flows with Russia through countries such as Kazakhstan, Armenia or Turkey show that these channels are being used to circumvent sanctions.
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said a full trade ban with Russia would help neighboring countries avoid these evasive measures.
The Baltic heads of government have also asked the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to ban the participation of Russian and Belarusian athletes in the 2024 Olympics, saying it would be “morally reprehensible” for them to participate, including under a neutral flag.
Kallas stressed that any participation of Russian athletes would be stained with the blood of Ukrainian athletes who died in the war and underlined that active-duty soldiers have sometimes participated in Russian Olympic teams.
In January, the IOC recommended that Russian and Belarusian athletes be allowed back to international competitions, under a neutral flag and if they meet several conditions, including not “actively” supporting the war in Ukraine.
The military offensive launched by Russia in Ukraine on February 24, 2022 has so far led to the flight of more than 14 million people — 6.5 million internally displaced persons and more than eight million to European countries — according to the latest data of the UN, which classifies this refugee crisis as the worst in Europe since World War II (1939-1945).
Currently, 17.7 million Ukrainians need humanitarian aid and 9.3 million need food aid and shelter.
The Russian invasion – justified by the Russian President, Vladimir Putin, with the need to “denazify” and demilitarize Ukraine for Russia’s security – was condemned by the international community at large, which responded by sending weapons to Ukraine and Russia to impose political and economic sanctions.
The UN presented 7,110 civilian deaths and 11,547 wounded as confirmed since the start of the war, underlining that these numbers are well below the real ones.
Source: DN
