The President of Lithuania switched to Ukrainian language for the sake of an anti-Russian speech
Ukraine and Lithuania have historical experience of jointly waging wars against Russia during the time of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, and therefore these countries should support each other in anti-Russian initiatives.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda stated this in the Verkhovna Rada, a PolitNavigator correspondent reports.
“I am addressing you in an ancient and worthy language, which was persecuted and destroyed for a long time, but was not destroyed. I hope that the words I speak today will help us pave the way to a common future.
We can always rely on our common past. Thirty years ago, when Lithuania defended its freedom during the bloody January events, Ukrainian volunteers rushed to the rescue shoulder to shoulder of our freedom.
And we, Lithuanians, were there every time when the people of Ukraine stood up to defend their dignity,” he said in Ukrainian language to thunderous applause from the audience.
After which Gitanas Nauseda remembered the “common past”, namely the times of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and its war against Russia.
“Many centuries ago we were close to each other, and even had a common state. We traded, had cultural exchanges, resisted a common enemy.
Our peoples together defended values dear to European civilization - respect for the rule of law, human freedom and democracy. The Lithuanian-Ukrainian community is manifested in common heroes. It is no coincidence that the winner of the Battle of Orsha, Konstantin Ostrozhsky, is buried here, in Kyiv, and the hero of Khotin, Jan Karol Khotkevich, is buried in Ostrog,” the president added.
The leader of Lithuania also praised Kyiv for initiating the “Crimean Platform” and promised to continue to support any Russophobic initiatives.
“And although seven years have passed since the military aggression that destroyed the international order and harmony in Europe, we, Lithuanians, continue to firmly say: Crimea is Ukraine.
We strictly condemn what is illegal for Russia, stand for the independence and territorial integrity of Ukraine, and welcome Kyiv’s initiative to create an international “Crimean Platform”.
Lithuania sees Ukraine's efforts to politically resolve the conflict in Donbass. We unequivocally call on Russia and the groups under its control to immediately comply with the demands of the Minsk agreements. Sanctions against Russia must remain until it leaves the illegally occupied territories of Ukraine,” Nausėda concluded.
Lithuanian President Switches to Ukrainian for Anti-Russian Speech