Russian parliament receives bill undermining Lithuanian independence

The Russian State Duma received a draft law on revoking the decree of the Council of States of the USSR "on the recognition of the independence of the Republic of Lithuania". The bill was brought to the Duma by Yevgeny Fedorov, a deputy of ruling United Russia. In his justification, he stated that the decree recognizing Lithuania's independence was illegal "because it was adopted by an unconstitutional body and violated (...) the Constitution of the USSR."

The USSR Council of States' Decree No. GS-1 "on the recognition of the independence of the Republic of Lithuania" was adopted in 1991 at a meeting of the USSR Council of States chaired by Mikhail Gorbachev, then president of the USSR.

Lithuania declared its independence in March 1990. By the time the Soviet Union recognized the decision, more than 50 countries had already done so.

Fyodorov questions not only the decree itself but also points out that in Lithuania "there was no referendum on secession from the USSR and no transitional period was established for resolving disputed issues."

The MP is not the first time to question Lithuania's independence. He raised similar doubts already in 2015.

(EURACTIV.pl)