Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Ukraine under Duma's attack. Who is next?
Georgy Kunadze for Caliber.Az

INTERVIEWS  14 June 2022 - 18:00

The Russian State Duma has proposed to revoke the recognition of the independence of a number of post-Soviet states. A Duma member from the United Russia party, Yevgeny Fedorov, said that the bill he introduced last week to denounce the decree recognizing the independence of Lithuania is only the first such initiative that may be followed by other proposals to deny recognition of the independence of post-Soviet countries. In particular, the deputy did not rule out the possibility of denouncing similar documents on the independence of Latvia, Estonia and Ukraine.

"There are a number of arguments, because of which Lithuania should be the first in this list. And after the mechanism is established, we will work it out in other NATO territories. And not only NATO. For example, Ukraine also withdrew from the USSR illegally," the deputy explained.

In a conversation with Caliber.Az, Georgy Kunadze, Russian diplomat, Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation (1991-1993), active state councillor of the 2nd class, noted that Yevgeny Fedorov, a deputy of the United Russia party, is a well-known parliamentary freak, who has long and quite openly promoted the "theory" that since its proclamation, the Russian Federation is in colonial dependence on the US.

"On the basis of this 'theory' Fedorov created and led the far-right organization NLM (National Liberation Movement), which sharply criticizes the Russian authorities but supports the Russian president in his struggle for the sought-after 'national liberation'.

NLM activists are known for hooligan attacks on democratic politicians who oppose Vladimir Putin. In the early years of the NLM, many believed that this organization would gradually "settle down" and stop its extremist statements to avoid compromising the Russian leader. Everything turned out to be quite the opposite: it was not Fedorov's organization that made a step toward Putin, but Putin made a step toward it. As a result, today NLM fits perfectly into the politics and style of Putin's regime.

Fedorov's idiotic "legislative initiative" intended to annul the resolution of the State Council of the USSR on the recognition of the independence of Lithuania, adopted in September 1991, is legally null and void and can not, more precisely, should not have any legal consequences.

In August 1940, Lithuania, as well as Latvia and Estonia, were illegally annexed to the USSR and restored their independence not as a result of its self-dissolution, but on the basis of legitimate decisions of their highest authorities. These decisions are recognized by the whole world, have the force of law, and do not depend in any way on what the possessed Russian 'politician' thinks.

As for the independence of other post-Soviet republics, it arose as a consequence of the dissolution of the USSR, as a result of which all of them, not just Russia, were recognized as its legal successors within their administrative borders, which became the state borders for them.

Any attempt to revise these borders in full or at least in part would knowingly contradict every conceivable rule of international law. The only problem is whether Russia is ready to comply with these norms," Kunadze said.

Caliber.Az