Lithuania: military Exercise Strong Shield 2022 gets the go ahead, while Moscow questions the independence of the Baltic Republic

“If Russia repeals its recognition of Lithuania’s 1991 independence, then Lithuania will repeal the 1634 Treaty of Polyanovka and will ask Putin to submit himself to the authority of Wladyslaw IV and to return all the occupied territories to the Grand Duchy. Smolensk is Lithuania!”. This is how in a tweet the Lithuanian MP Matas Maldeikis commented the news that on June 8th the deputy of the State Duma, Evgeny Fedorov, submitted a bill of law called “Cancellation of the decree of the State Council of the USSR, ‘Recognition of independence of the Republic of Lithuania”. The reasons given point to the fact that “in the Republic of Lithuania there has been no referendum on the secession from the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics and no transitional period has been established for the review of all the controversial matters”, in breach of the USRR Act no. 1409-1 of March 4th, 1990; and most importantly “pursuant to article 67.1 of the Russian Constitution”, which says: “The Russian Federation is the legal successor of the USRR on its territory”. The attachments explain that changing such law would not involve any cost for the Russian Federation or any change in any other law. Yesterday, June 9th, the president of the State Duma approved the bill of law and submitted it to the Commission on International Affairs of the State Duma for a review. In the meantime, from today and until June 12th, the Exercise Strong Shield 2022 will be taking place on Lithuanian territory”. The citizens received a text from the Lithuanian National Defence Force (Kasp) explaining that “soldiers and military vehicles will move during daylight and night hours” and “imitations of ammunition and packets of explosives” will be used. Kasp asks “the population to be patient and keep calm”.
Valentina Bombelli