Lithuania Becomes First Country In The World To Declare Russia A ‘Terrorist State’

Lithuania's parliament has voted to label Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine as genocide and has described Russia as a terrorist state.

The Lithuanian Seimas revealed on social media they had voted unanimously on the motion.

"The Seimas recognises the full-scale armed aggression – war – against Ukraine by the armed forces of the Russian Federation and its political and military leadership... as genocide against the Ukrainian people," the Seimas resolution read.

"The Russian Federation, whose military forces deliberately and systematically target civilian targets, is a state that supports and perpetrates terrorism."

The Lithuanian motion also described what it believes to be Russia's intentions in Ukraine and why they are perpetrators of genocide.

"The intent is to wholly or partially destroy the Ukrainian nation and break its spirit by killing entire families, including children, abducting and raping people, and mocking them and the bodies of the murdered," the motion reads.

Lithuanian lawmakers specifically referred to the atrocities in Bucha, Irpin, Mariupol, Borodyanka, and Hostomel, where mass graves of bodies have been found, as well as evidence of other cruel acts carried out against Ukrainian civilians.

The European Union nation stressed that Russia must be held accountable by the international community by establishing a special tribunal to investigate Russia's crimes in Ukraine.

The resolution had been proposed by a number of Lithuanian parliamentarians, including Deputy Speaker Paulius Saudargas.

"Since the time of the Tsars, Russia has been a basically autocratic state, and Putin is continuing the work of Stalin," Saudargas told lawmakers, according to EuroNews.

"The genocide began even then, and Putin's Russia is simply the reincarnation of Stalinist Russia - the Soviet Union."

Their move received praise from the Stratcom Centre, Ukraine's body for strategic communications and information security.

Stratcom said Lithuania's bold move makes the it the first country to label Russia as a terror state.

They are not the first nation to accuse Putin's army of genocide, with Canada adopting a similar motion last month, according to an NPR report.

In the months following Russia's invasion of neighbouring Ukraine, the European Union member state has taken steps to distance itself from Russia.

In April, AP reported it became the first EU nation to stop Russian gas imports.

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