Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs calls for ensuring the opening of humanitarian corridors in Ukraine and the declaration of a no-fly zone over them and over the nuclear facilities on the territory of Ukraine

Press release, 4 March 2022 

In response to the rapidly deteriorating humanitarian situation in Ukraine and a threat to the nuclear facilities on the territory of Ukraine, namely operating nuclear power plants and the nuclear waste storage facility in Chernobyl, due to military actions of Russia and Belarus, the Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs has adopted a statement. The Statement calls on the Parliaments of democratic states to seek political consensus and immediate action in their countries for opening humanitarian corridors on the territory of Ukraine with a view to ensuring a safe passage of civilians out of the military action areas and the territories unlawfully occupied and controlled by the Russian Federation. The Committee calls for action to declare a no-fly zone over these humanitarian corridors, as well as over the nuclear power plants and nuclear waste storage facilities in Ukraine.

Laima Andrikienė, Chair of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, says that ‘the international community and the United Nations must take all necessary measures and employ mechanisms existing for similar situations, such as UN peacekeeping troops, to ensure the evacuation of persons trapped in hostilities. Neither can we ignore the potential threat to Europe as a whole posed by indiscriminate actions of the occupying army near and in the strategic nuclear facilities in Ukraine. The Committee on Foreign Affairs sees that the only way to ensure the security of Ukrainian people and that of Europe is to declare no-fly zones over the open humanitarian corridors and over the nuclear facilities.’

Emanuelis Zingeris, Signatory to the Act of Independence and Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, underlines that ‘the international community must respond to the attack that took place hours ago attempting to destroy the largest nuclear power plant in Europe. Russia has specifically targeted and struck the most risky spots of the plant, where an explosion could result in radiation reaching regions in Russia and the whole of Europe. This is a clear signal of Russia’s final challenge to the international community. Countries determined to stand firm against Russia should therefore adjust their resistance plans today to counter Russia’s international aggression. In the light of today’s events, we need to think about preserving the lives of citizens of all countries without giving up.’

In the Statement, the Committee also calls on the Parliaments of the European Union Member States to show solidarity and mobilise their countries’ political support for granting the EU candidate status to Ukraine, which is fighting to defend the democratic future of the whole of Europe, and for launching the negotiation process.

Text of the Statement in Lithuanian and English.

Inga Milašiūtė, Adviser, Office of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, tel. +370 5 239 6799.