{"id":62640,"date":"2024-04-28T22:07:12","date_gmt":"2024-04-28T20:07:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/libmod.de\/?p=62640"},"modified":"2024-05-10T10:33:25","modified_gmt":"2024-05-10T08:33:25","slug":"russia-sanctions-interview-andrius-kubilius","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/libmod.de\/en\/russia-sanctions-interview-andrius-kubilius\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cOur Strategic Goal is to Weaken or Change the Kremlin Regime\u201d"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Former Lithuanian Prime Minister Andrius Kubilius has been a member of the European Parliament since 2019. As the parliament\u2019s rapporteur on relations with Russia, he is a point man for promoting and coordi\u00adnating sanctions against the Putin regime and support for the exiled opposition. We inter\u00adviewed Kubilius, who is standing for re-election in June, about the effec\u00adtiveness of the EU\u2019s sanctions against Russian individuals.
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[\/vc_column_text][vc_message css=\u201c\u201d]This interview is the first contri\u00adbution to a dossier on sanctions<\/a> that the Center of Liberal Modernity publishes in the run-up to its annual conference Russia and the West<\/em><\/a> on 15 May.<\/p>\n

Read this interview in German on Russland verstehen<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

[\/vc_message][vc_column_text css=\u201c\u201d]Question<\/strong>: Mr Kubilius, the European Court of Justice last week annulled sanctions imposed on Russian billion\u00adaires Mikhail Fridman and his business partner Petr Aven on the grounds that the EU had failed to provide suffi\u00adcient evidence that the two had supported the Kremlin\u2019s policies against Ukraine. Many have called this a blow to the European sanctions policy. How do you see this case?<\/p>\n

Answer<\/strong>: First of all, this is evidence that the EU is an organi\u00adzation under the rule of law. Actually that could be a good example for Russia. However, the ruling also shows that our sanction policy management and imple\u00admen\u00adtation demands an upgrade. We need to provide clearer evidence that a person who is included on the list has committed clear violation of our rules. We should also take our decisions more centralized. Currently, a lot depends on national member states. That is why I have proposed that we should have a special Commis\u00adsioner on Sanctions in the next EU-Commission. Maybe that will allow us to avoid such mistakes.<\/p>\n

Q<\/strong>: What about intro\u00adducing more flexi\u00adbility into the sanctions regime? Appar\u00adently, there has been no case where sanctions were lifted after an individual distanced himself\/\u200bherself from the Putin regime and the war.<\/p>\n

One of the possible reasons that this regime collapses could be actions inside or near the Kremlin<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

A<\/strong>: We were actually trying to put such language into our parlia\u00admentary report on sanctions, but that report has now been postponed to the next parliament. We also hear a lot from the Russian opposition about such proposals. We need to be very clear that our goal must be to reduce the threat from the current Kremlin regime. One of the possible reasons that this regime collapses could be actions inside or near the Kremlin, including by oligarchs and other elite members.<\/p>\n

Q<\/strong>: How realistic is it that leading regime figures would denounce Putin?<\/p>\n

A<\/strong>: It should be our strategic goal to weaken or to change the Kremlin regime. Of course, it is not realistic to expect that something like Maidan will happen in Russia. I do not foresee that in the nearest future. Just remember past power changes in Moscow \u2013Stalin, Khrushchev and Brezhnev. Even Perestroika was begun in the Kremlin!<\/p>\n

Let\u2019s be brave!<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

But if anybody in or near the Kremlin is ready to switch sides and to look for possi\u00adbil\u00adities to weaken or dismantle the regime \u2013 we need to try that. Let\u2019s be brave! We are talking endlessly about how we can defend ourselves against Putin. But we are not talking about our offensive policies. How we can achieve such changes (inside Russia) which would help to end this war. If such changes lead to some kind of revolution, that would be a major achievement because that could be the basis of sustainable peace on the continent. Let\u2019s not forget that the author\u00adi\u00adtarian Kremlin regime is now the biggest threat to peace in Europe!<\/p>\n

Q<\/strong>: There has been consid\u00aderable debate in Europe about visa policies versus Russia. What is Lithuania\u2019s experience?<\/p>\n

A<\/strong>: Among other things, we have a special programme to allow scien\u00adtists from Belarus to establish themselves in Lithuania. We also issue human\u00adi\u00adtarian visas to both political opposition and civil society repre\u00adsen\u00adta\u00adtives from both Russia and Belarus. The numbers are quite impressive. It is in our national interest to have a normal Russia and a normal Belarus next to our territory.<\/p>\n

Q<\/strong>: And what is your stance of a blanket visa-ban against Russians?<\/p>\n

A<\/strong>: We in Lithuania have intro\u00adduced restric\u00adtions on tourism and work visas coming from Russia. But we keep issuing human\u00adi\u00adtarian visas. And for Belaru\u00adsians we even keep work visas, although there are concerns because the numbers are quite high.<\/p>\n

Q<\/strong>: What is more important right now for EU policy\u00admakers \u2013 strength\u00adening sanctions or stepping up military aid?<\/p>\n

A<\/strong>: From my point of view, it is military aid. For the time being, our military assis\u00adtance is such that we allow Ukraine not to lose the war, but it was far away from a chance to win.<\/p>\n

If we want Ukraine to win the war, our assis\u00adtance should be around 100 billion euros per year<\/em><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Last year Russia spent some 100 billion euros in the war, while Ukraine managed to spend 80 billion, half of which was Western aid. If we want Ukraine to win the war, our assis\u00adtance should be around 100 billion euros per year. But in some Western capitals, including Berlin, there is a fear of what will happen in Russia if the Putin regime collapses. That is where we need a European grand strategy. (Ukrainian victory) is the most important instrument at our hands to open the possi\u00adbility for positive trans\u00adfor\u00admation in Russia!<\/p>\n

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Andrius Kubilius<\/strong> served as Prime Minister of Lithuania twice from 1999 to 2000 and from 2008 to 2012. He has been an MEP since 2019 and is a member of the Committees on Foreign Affairs and on Industry, Research and Energy. Kubilius is Co-Chair of the Euronest Parlia\u00admentary Assembly and the Parliament\u2019s Permanent Rapporteur for Russia. He is also head of the EPP Lithuanian delegation and Chairman of various inter\u00adpar\u00adlia\u00admentary groups, including the Baltic Caucus and the Friends of European Russia Forum. He is the co-founder of the inter\u00adna\u00adtional cross-party networks United for Ukraine (U4U) and United for Moldova (U4M). Kubilius has been a member of the Lithuanian Seimas from 1992 to 2019.<\/em><\/p>\n

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