Baltic states: Russia is committing genocide
The parliaments of the three Baltic states, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania on Thursday labelled Russia's actions in Ukraine as genocide - about a week after US President Joe Biden also accused Russia of genocide in Ukraine. Commentators call for further steps to be taken.
International condemnation must follow
For Postimees, the declaration doesn't go far enough:
“What would truly make history is if a trial were to lead to an international consensus categorising Russia's aggression as genocide. But in order for this to happen, the international community needs arguments, not just declarations. Russia has committed acts in Ukraine that according to Article 2 of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide bear all the hallmarks of this crime. Under the convention all states can turn to the UN nations and the International Court of Justice if there is a suspicion of genocide. This is what needs to happen now.”
Moscow's aim is to wipe out Ukraine
War crimes are part of Russia's political strategy, writes foreign policy expert Botond Feledy in Új Szó:
“Let's assume for a moment that the Russian political leadership has set itself the goal of physically wiping out the Ukrainian resistance for years to come and reducing Ukraine and its population as much as possible. If this is 'the mission', what steps should the Kremlin take? Basically, exactly what we are seeing: ... Attacks on civilian infrastructure and massive reprisals against the civilian population. ... It's up to us now to finally grasp that these war crimes are part of [the Kremlin's] political objectives.”
Bigger countries need to step up too
Eesti Päevaleht hopes that the Estonian Parliament's decision will inspire other countries to take a more aggressive stance in supporting Ukraine and confronting Russia:
“If little Estonia dares and can do this, why not big countries like Germany and France? Germany, whose foreign minister declared and affirmed her support in Riga, Tallinn and Vilnius this week, has recently received a lot of flak for its coolness towards Ukraine and its love of Russia. Both at home and abroad, and from us Estonians too. And deservedly so, because if Germany were to support Ukraine with weapons and renounce Russian gas, this could decide the outcome of the war.”