“Just as we never left the Soviet Union, we never joined the European Union,” said Eduardas Vaitkus, a candidate for the president of the Republic of Lithuania, on Friday at the Center for Eastern European Studies (RESC).
In the debate, the candidate expressed criticism that Lithuania was “sold and betrayed”. “And we were betrayed and sold not by foreigners, but by the local government,” said E. Vaitkus and added that his main goal after becoming president is to return power to the people of Lithuania, but he does not specify his statements. The candidate also accuses the government of being illegal: “The people of Lithuania, not the government, adopted the Constitution. And if our government does not follow the Constitution, then that government becomes illegal. My main aspiration is that we adhere to the Constitution, which states that the people of Lithuania are the most important. Questions important to the life of Lithuania must be decided by the people of Lithuania, and then the question arises – we say in the first article of the Constitution: Lithuania is an independent republic. And together we have the government, which inserted Article 150, which says: “The instructions of Brussels bureaucrats are superior to the Constitution of Lithuania”, said E. Vaitkus.
IQ emphasizes that the statements made by the candidate are not in Article 150 of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, and the Constitutional Law “On the State of Lithuania” provides that Article 1 of the Constitution. the statement that the state of Lithuania is an independent democratic republic is a fundamental principle that can only be changed by a plebiscite if at least 3/4 of Lithuanian citizens with active voting rights agree to it.
E. Vaitkus also criticized Lithuania for “a conscious decision to give up financial independence”, and after joining the NATO bloc, it allegedly joined NATO’s aggressive policy. “Since 2006 NATO led the occupation forces in Afghanistan and we participated in that, – said E. Vaitkus. “So NATO has expanded the possibilities for themselves to do what they want?”
Speaking about security, E. Vaitkus said that security “cannot be divided and must be solved jointly”. If elected president, the candidate promised to initiate the negotiation process with Russia, but without the United States.
E. Vaitkas also stumbled upon Ukrainian flags displayed in Lithuanian cities. Noticing the flag on the RESC building, he replied that probably this center is also occupied by Ukrainians.
The candidate does not support the current security strategy of the West and calls it a policy that carries a nuclear threat. “We, the West, seek death through the lips of those in power and[…]we seek death for the rest of the world.” I’m not for the destruction of Lithuania, I’m for the fact that the traitors of Lithuania leading to destruction should be named,” he added.
When asked what policy he would take from the point of view of the European Union (EU), the candidate for president of the Republic of Lithuania questioned that in 2004 Lithuania joined the EU at all, which allegedly gives Lithuania a special advantage in negotiations.
“If we have not joined the EU now on equal terms, <...> we have not left the Soviet Union, and we have never joined the EU, then I see excellent negotiating positions here”, he said and added that the first article of the Constitution was chosen by all of Lithuania , and the membership in the EU referred to in point 150 – only the Seimas. “I personally voted for the European Union, but my vote as a citizen was not enough,” said E. Vaitkus.
Speaking about Russia and the war in Ukraine, the candidate avoided an unambiguous answer as to whether Russia is the aggressor, and linked the war in Ukraine with the expansion of NATO in the East: “The same process can look completely different from different points of view,” he said. – Even on the issue of the Russian invasion. When you ask who is the aggressor, according to a certain line of logic it can be said that Russia is the aggressor, but from another point of view we can ask – why is Russia the aggressor? Then we have to admit that Cuba had no right to deploy USSR missiles on the spot <...>. Let’s transfer the same situation to Ukraine and ask if Ukraine has the right to become a member of NATO? Of course you have, but then let’s ask, can a neighbor build a house too close to his fence?”
The candidate also said that Lithuania could withdraw from NATO within one year if it wanted to. He said that Lithuania would be safer after leaving NATO: “I suggest that people resolve this issue. I will argue why being a neutral state is more beneficial than being in a military bloc. The purpose of this is very obvious. Moving forward is a confrontational goal. I’m not in favor of such a block.”
Finally, E. Vaitkus admitted that after winning the elections and receiving an invitation to the Kremlin, he would be happy to go there, but first of all he would visit Hungary.
“I would be happy to go and discuss what can be done for security in the whole of Europe with Russia as well.” And that this madness on the territory of Ukraine would be stopped”, said E. Vaitkus, the candidate for the president of the Republic of Lithuania.
