President of Lithuania Valdas Adamkus sets the tune in permanent exacerbation of the Russian – Lithuanian relations and pursuance of the systematic policy of confrontation with the Russian Federation. For instance, in his interview to “The Financial Times” (USA) he “warns” the world community about a possibility of a new Cold War between the West and Russia that may be triggered by the Kremlin due to the economic revival of Russia. “Russia wants to dominate and dictate, - Adamkus says. – The rest of the world expects that in XXI century Russia would become a constructive, democratic and active partner in creation of a new society”. According to the Lithuanian President, Russia has ambitions to dominate also in the relations with the Baltic countries, and first of all, in the energy sphere. As quoted to Adamkus, the Kremlin generates “unnecessary tension” in the Baltic countries. In reality, everything is vice versa.
Today, one of the main motions that provokes “unnecessary tension” in the Lithuanian – Russian relations is assignment of responsibility to Russia for the so-called “Soviet occupation”, and claim for payment of the respective compensation. On January 13, addressing the National Parliament on the Day of Freedom Fighter, the Lithuanian President urged the European community to force Russia to formally recognize the fact of “the Soviet occupation” of the Lithuanian territory in 1939-1941 and 1945-1991 and undertake an obligation to pay a compensation totaling 28 billion Dollars for the inflicted damage to the Lithuanian Republic. “We will endeavor to get the compensation of damage inflicted by the occupation”, the President assured his citizens. He ranked this claim to Russia as a priority (!) task of the Lithuanian foreign policy in 2008.
This stand of the President is fully supported by Chairman of the Lithuanian Seim (Parliament) Victoras Muntyanas. In particular, he believes that there is no sense to continue discussions about the responsibility of Russia for the damage inflicted to the Lithuanian Republic in the Soviet period. “It is legally established that Russia is a successor in rights and obligations of the former USSR, therefore there is no sense to discuss the fact that the successor in rights and obligations assumes also responsibilities”, Muntyanas said in his interview. He said that the intentions of Lithuania to force Russia to recognize the so-called “Soviet occupation” are “legal realities”.
However, it is hardly possible to accept the stand of the first persons of the Lithuanian state. What is the occupation? According to the international law, the occupation is establishment of a temporary control and authority over the territory of the hostile State by the armed forces of another State during the hostilities. In this particular case, nothing of the kind took place.
In 1940, Lithuania entered in the USSR at a free will of the Lithuanian people. Expressing this will the legally elected supreme agency of the Lithuanian republic, its Parliament, approached the Supreme Soviet of the USSR with a request to admit the Republic into the USSR. This request was satisfied. Contemporaries remember that many Lithuanian citizens in 1940 welcomed admission of their country into the USSR, establishment of the Soviet power and introduction of the Red Army troops (up to 20,000) in the territory of the Republic as a guarantor of its security. For example, a meeting in Kaunas on June 24, 1940 was attended by about 70 – 100 thousand people. The majority of Lithuanians actively participated in the election of new state authorities and supported their decisions. As a member of the USSR, Lithuania enjoyed a status of “the Union Republic” with the widest autonomy and national government.
After the crushing defeat of the fascism, the Lithuanian Republic naturally remained a member of the USSR. This fact was also confirmed at the Potsdam Conference of the Heads of Victorious States in 1945. Moreover, in the post-war period the area of the Lithuanian Republic increased by 30 per cent at the expense of the Vilnus, Klaipeda and other regions. The Final Helsinki Act (1975) signed by the heads of all European states and USA also confirms legitimacy of all post-war borders. So, it is impossible to speak about any “occupation” of Lithuania by the Soviet Union in terms of the international law.
Yes, it so happened in the history that Lithuania was a republic of the USSR for five decades. The present rulers of the Lithuanian state groundlessly call this period “a period of the Soviet occupation” and the most horrible period in the centuries-long history of the Lithuanian nation. As mentioned above, this allegation is groundless. Now, let’s see the results of Republic development in this period.
The statistics irrefutably confirms that the social and economic progress in Soviet Lithuania gained so high momentum that might be envied by the nations with rather powerful economic potential. The fact is that the industrial output in Lithuania increased more than 60-fold during these 50 years. And what are the qualitative changes that occurred in the economy and society of the Republic in general during these years?.. The region that previously produced only fancy stitch fabrics, paper reels, woodworks and agricultural products, started building the ships, manufacture electronics (including for the use in space), precise metalworking machines , and refine oil. It rural population forgot about the Betty lamp. The power engineering industry started using not only traditional fuels: coal, oil and gas, but also nuclear fuel – a large atomic power plant was built in Lithuania. Currently, this power plant is still in operation. The Lithuanian products are in demand in about 80 countries of the world.
The years of “occupation” were the years of further progress of the Lithuanian culture and science. Pre-Soviet Lithuania had as many schoolchildren as it had teachers in the early 90-s, and as many students as it had professors and assistant professors at that time. The Lithuanian scientists are famous for their inventions of international significance, its writers, artists and sportsmen are internationally appreciated.
It is at least unfair and immoral to forget today what has been done by Russians for the development of Lithuania, call this period a period of destructive “occupation” and draw up “an offset account” totaling 28 billion Dollars to Russia.
Therefore it is not incidentally that the policy of the Lithuanian rulers reached a deadlock not only in their absurd claims but also in solution of other problems in the Lithuanian – Russian relations. Lithuanian Foreign Minister Pyatras Vaitekunas complains that during the seventeen years of independence his country was visited by none of the Russian Presidents that confirms, according to the Minister, deep controversies in the fundamental issues. Yes, it is possible to agree with his words - there are serious controversies. But not due to the fault of Russia.
For instance, President V. Adamkus today continues to make provocative allegations that Russia should comply with the Istanbul agreements and withdraw its “military contingents” from Georgia and Moldavia, ratify the Energy Charter, comply with all commitments undertaken when entering in the Council of Europe, and exactly fulfill international agreements signed with other states inclusive of the Baltic countries. All this accusations against Russia are fabricated and have nothing in common with the reality. Nevertheless, they are still pronounced by the Lithuanian President. Should Russians thank him for it?
The most worrying fact is that in our neighbor country, in the former fraternal Soviet republic the present rulers – Russophobes try to draw the people of the Republic into their confrontation with Russia, poison their senses with hatred to Russians and fear for their future. The results of such psychological processing are visible in the public opinion polls on various aspects of the Lithuanian-Russian relations. For example, 46.5 per cent of respondents believe that Russia should not only recognize the moral aspect of “the Soviet occupation” but also pay the compensation. However, 84 per cent of respondents are sober-minded because they understand that Russia will never recognize its moral or material responsibility for this absurd, the so-called “Soviet occupation” of Lithuania.
The campaign launched in the Lithuanian society about alleged “military preparations” of Russia including “militarization” of the Kaliningrad Region also has its post-effects. In due time, Prime Minister Ghediminas Kirkilas set the tune in generation of a public motion to request NATO “to pacify” Russia after Russian First Deputy Prime Minister Sergey Ivanov claimed that in case of deployment of the US ABM systems in Poland and Czechia, Moscow reserves the right to deploy missiles in the European part of the country including the Kaliningrad Region. As quoted to Kirkilas, Vinus will be against missile deployment in Kaliningrad. “I am sure that Kaliningrad needs demilitarization”, he said. Foreign Minister P. Vaitekunas claimed that any efforts of Russia to deploy missile systems in Kaliningrad will be in conflict with the spirit of cooperation between the European Union and Russian Federation.
Chairman of the Seim Committee for Foreign Affairs Y. Karosas believes that any possible deployment of missile systems in the Kaliningrad Region is a threat to the entire Europe. Deputy of the Seim from the Conservative Party E. Zingeris claimed that “militarization of Karalyauchus (they call Kaliningrad like this in Lithuania) is a threat to European security, hostile action against the entire European community that should be adequately responded by the unified Europe”. E. Zingeris urged his country as a NATO member-state to get prepared for a possible aggression of Russia. Meanwhile, Ex-Foreign Minister of Lithuania Antanas Valenis even reminded to Russians that “the troops of Prince Alghirdas in the XVII century stood at the walls of the Kremlin”.
At the same time, neither of the Lithuanian politicians tries to explain the reasons why Lithuania in despite of its promises prior to the membership in NATO still fails to join the Treaty on Conventional Armed Forces in Europe, why two NATO military bases (AF base in Zokhnye and Army base in Rukle in the outskirts of Kaunas) are already actually established in the territory of Lithuania, and why Lithuania fully supports deployment of US ABM systems in Czechia and Poland. They are used to keep mum in Lithuania that the aforesaid is a real threat to Russia.
As a result, having heard and having read the drivel of their politicians more than a half of the people living in large cities (52 per cent) do not exclude an aggression of Russia and presume that its armed power may be used against Lithuania.
Having called Russia an occupant country, Lithuanian President V. Asamkus simultaneously in broad daylight greets the Lithuanian fascist collaborators and murderers who killed thousands of peaceful people during the war. Such behavior of V. Adamkus actually seems rather strange because he lived in America for a long time and should have learnt well the values of the American democratic system.
In his efforts to generate “unnecessary tension” in the relationships with Russia, V. Adamkus has just overdone that was noted even in the American establishment. According to “Radio of Lithuania”, US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice in her address to the World Economic Forum in Davos criticized Lithuanian President V. Adamkus for his allegations against Russia. In particular, she said that the speculations about a possibility of a new Cold War between the West and Russia are “exaggerated rubbish”.
Meanwhile this “exaggerated rubbish” and other allegations of the Lithuanian political elite about Russia are systematically accumulated in the senses of the people, and transform into a real tension and confrontation in the Lithuanian – Russian relations and instigate disruption of the established international legal order in the European region.
