On Thursday, the 12th of January, 14th Saeima speaker Edvards Smiltēns and his delegation arrived in Ukraine’s capital city of Kyiv in order to personally voice Latvia’s support and solidarity with Ukrainian people, as reported by the parliament’s press-service.
There he met with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky and his colleague, Verkhovna Rada speaker Ruslan Stefanchuk. He also spoke to members of the parliament.
The Saeima speaker read a speech in Ukrainian language to members of the Ukrainian parliament, thereby demonstrating his respect of the Ukrainian language, as well as the people who have ended up in Latvia and who are now studying Latvian language.
Smiltēns said «the Soviet Union has started falling apart for real only now. It is falling apart before our eyes on the battlefields in Ukraine and our hearts, in a geopolitical and human manner». Saeima speaker mentioned that the Soviet Union is falling apart symbolically, in the hundredth year since its creation.
Russia’s bloody dictator had plans to resurrect the USSR in an even more intimidating form by opening hell’s gates in Ukraine, said the speaker.
«We can close these gates together. This has become the duty of the entire civilised world,» stressed Smiltēns.
«Your strength in your homeland lets us do things we have left unattended for years, make steps away from Soviet heritage, from our neighbour’s imperialistic influence, the dark weight of our past. It lets us liquidate symbols of occupation. This gives us true freedom and lets us unite to support Ukraine,» said Saeima speaker, especially stressing people’s solidarity and involvement. «Every day Latvia sends various humanitarian aid to Ukraine. This clearly shows this is not just about politics or international relations. This is about something more: about what comes from people’s hearts, the foundation of humanity, about the rooted shared values, about what we know what is good and what is evil, where is the truth and where are lies. People in Latvia know this,» said Smiltēns.
He also affirmed that Latvia’s political, military, financial, humanitarian and human support will continue. «No matter how much it costs and for how long. We and our partners loudly declare – we will not give up,» stressed Latvia’s Saeima speaker.
He was accompanied by chairman of Saeima’s Foreign Affairs Committee Rihards Kols; chairman of Defence, Internal Affairs, Corruption Prevention Committee Raimonds Bergmanis; chairman of European Affairs Committee Andris Sprūds, as well as head of Saeima’s coordination group with Ukrainian parliament Jānis Skrastiņš.
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