Honourable Speaker of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania, Mrs. Victoria Cmilita-Nielsen!

Dear Members of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania!

Dear ladies and gentlemen!

Thank you very much for the invitation to address the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania.

You are known and appreciated outside this beautiful country for demonstrating leadership on many pressing issues of the region, for demonstrating unwavering and passionate support for freedom and democracy, for supporting Ukraine and Ukrainians in our just struggle.

We have an eventful history together but let me remind you of some important moments of the present.

We rejoiced for Lithuania and the Lithuanian people when on March 11, 1990, the Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania proclaimed the restoration of the Independence of the State of Lithuania, giving hope and impetus to other enslaved countries on the way to regaining their once lost freedom.

The first congratulatory telegram on the Independence Day of Ukraine on August 24, 1991, came from Lithuania – from the Chairman of the Supreme Council of the Republic of Lithuania, Mr. Vytautas Landsbergis.

Lithuania was one of the first countries to officially recognize the Independence of Ukraine on December 4, 1991, following the results of the All-Ukrainian referendum on December 1.

You once started the fight against russian totalitarianism, destroying the USSR, and we are now completing it on the battlefield in the literal sense of the word, defending ourselves from the full-scale, unprovoked russian armed aggression against Ukraine.

russia once again demonstrates to the whole world by occupying a part of Ukrainian territories, systematically destroying civilian and energy infrastructure, torturing and killing civilians of Ukraine, that it not only does not respect the right of peoples to self-determination, not only does not value human life and freedom, but every day and every minute it threatens its peaceful neighbours.

Despite the strong condemnation by the entire democratic community of the war unleashed by the russian federation against Ukraine, russia continues to blatantly disregard international law and generally accepted rules of conduct in the civilized world.

What can we oppose to this? Solidarity, determination and steadfastness! We will heroically defend our independence, as well as freedom and the desire for a peaceful life for ourselves, Europe and the entire free world!

In this struggle we rely on broad international support. Allow me from this rostrum, on behalf of the entire Ukrainian people, to express our sincere gratitude once again for the fact that from the first hours of the russian full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Lithuania has been providing us with comprehensive military, financial and humanitarian assistance. Tens of thousands of Ukrainian women and children – temporarily displaced persons – have found shelter in friendly Lithuania. The first Ukrainian centre in the EU countries has been opened and is working in Vilnius. Thank you for this!

I am very pleased to see Ukrainian flags at the entrance to the Seimas and on the streets of the city. Our flag has become a symbol of the struggle for freedom throughout Europe. And we, as parliamentarians, make our modest contribution to this struggle, building brotherly or sisterly relations between our countries.

I believe that the meeting of the Interparliamentary Assembly of the Seimas of Lithuania, the Verkhovna Rada of Ukraine, the Seimas and the Senate of Poland will strengthen our positions and our unity.

 And today’s meeting with you I consider as a powerful manifestation of interest on the part of the Seimas in further support of Ukraine, in readiness to go together side by side to our common victory.

You have been with us from the first day of the war. When russian troops attacked Kyiv and its suburbs, when the world was shocked by the insidiousness, cruelty and scale of the russian aggression, the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania acted and already adopted a resolution “On the russian-belarusian Aggression against Ukraine” on February 24, and on March 8, together with the parliaments of Estonia and Latvia, approved the “Joint Statement of the Baltic Parliaments in Support of Ukraine’s EU Membership”.

 Honourable Madam Speaker!

Today I again recall your visit to Kyiv on March 24 together with the heads of the Latvian and Estonian parliaments. When the occupying army was still at a distance of shelling Kyiv with field artillery, you were the first heads of parliaments who came to support us. Even then, you called on the international community to impose a full trade embargo against russia, to increase the supply of weapons to Ukraine, to develop ways of reconstruction and a comprehensive assistance plan to restore the economy of Ukraine.

You were in Bucha and Borodyanka, witnessed firsthand the large-scale destruction of our cities and villages by russians, the genocide of our people. We in Ukraine highly appreciate your position, dear Mrs. Victoria, as well as the determination of the Seimas to bring russian criminals to justice as soon as possible. We appreciate your support of the idea and the process of establishing the Special International Tribunal for the Crime of Aggression of russia.

On May 10, the Seimas of Lithuania was the first foreign parliament to recognize russia as a state sponsor and perpetrator of acts of terrorism. By the same resolution the Seimas recognized the actions of the russian federation in Ukraine as genocide of the Ukrainian people.

In general, since February 24, the Seimas has adopted 10 resolutions in support of Ukraine and condemnation of russia’s actions! The number of them is impressive! I respect your determination, dear colleagues! These resolutions have become an example for many other parliaments.

 Honourable Madam Speaker!

Dear members of the Seimas!

 I thank you for your commitment not to stop, but on the contrary – to strengthen support for Ukraine. There can be no fatigue when you fight for your own freedom and peace for our children and grandchildren.

I am grateful that the Government has envisaged and the Seimas has approved in the State Budget of Lithuania for 2023 the allocation of funds for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, including funding for training and rehabilitation therapy for our heroic soldiers.

russia has fired more than 4 thousand different missiles in Ukraine. Many of them were deliberately aimed at civilian and energy infrastructure. Today Lithuania is one of the leaders in restoring this energy infrastructure. You provide us with transformers, generators and other necessary equipment.

Today, all Ukrainians are united by a common national idea – to win, to rebuild, to make Ukraine an even better country and an EU member. Our will to win is based on our history. It is not easy, like yours. Tragic, heroic history has made both Ukrainians and Lithuanians strong. Not just strong, but unbreakable.

I want everyone to hear it, including russians – we cannot be broken! And our soldiers on the battlefield have already seen with their own eyes how panic-stricken the russians are of this invincibility - the balanced, calm, conscious invincibility of the workers who, after February 24, were forced to break away from their daily work – sowing bread or teaching children or writing books – and took up machine guns to protect their and our peaceful free future!

 Dear friends! Ukraine and Lithuania have been and will be going side by side.

We have several centuries of common history, in particular, the history of the heroic struggle for Independence and Freedom. Our nations together defeated the moscow army near Orsha in 1514.

On February 11, 1991, the Lithuanian Parliament adopted the Constitutional Law “On the State of Lithuania”. Thus, the firmness of Lithuania’s decision to withdraw from the USSR was confirmed. The events in Lithuania then became a catalyst for the collapse of the Soviet empire.

Today we must put an end to aggressive russian imperialism by joint efforts. We will achieve this by joint victory in the war.

At the same time, Ukraine’s full membership in the EU is an equally important task. We strive to make our powerful contribution to the prosperity of the free democratic community of European countries. And we are working on it. In the Verkhovna Rada, we are adopting European integration laws in order to timely achieve the indicators of success that have been defined for us by the European community. Figuratively speaking, we hold a machine gun in one hand and a pen in the other.

We will win and achieve all the set goals, because from generation to generation we know how to fight and how to work, because every Ukrainian shows exceptional heroism, because we have loyal friends. Lithuania has a special place among them.

Thank you, Madam Speaker. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, members of the Seimas. Thank you, friendly Lithuania and brotherly Lithuanian people!

 Kartu i pergale! Together to the Victory!

 Glory to Ukraine!