Suggesting that the Baltics or Poland are to blame for Russia’s aggression against Ukraine is not only impertinent but simply wrong.

The real cause is Putin’s refusal to accept the USSR’s collapse and the West’s past appeasement while ignoring clear warning signs.🧵 In our region, the true nature of Russia was recognised early.

Most of the Western world ignored warnings, even after Putin openly expressed his anti-Western views and Soviet nostalgia in his 2007 Munich speech.

🧵
On this day, 23. August 1939, 8⃣5⃣ years ago the Soviet Union & Nazi Germany made a deal by signing the Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact.

They called it a non-aggression pact, which was a lie.

It had a secret protocol to divide #Europe between them & unleash horrific aggression.

1/7 After Stalin & Molotov shook hands with Nazi foreign minister Ribbentrop, the secret deal left the Baltic states to Soviet occupation.

2/7

The #Baltic states long warned about Russian aggression. We understand it because we experienced it.

We know Moscow's playbook & we also know it can be defeated.

On 23 August we remember 2 moments. One that started it & another that helped end our own occupation.
11/🧵

Moscow executed its playbook of aggression against us in 1940.

Alongside a barrage of threats, misinfo & appeals to "brotherhood", it invaded, purged society & faked elections requesting annexation, followed by mass repression, including mass deportations.

Sounds familiar❓
2/

It’s one year until the @Olympics.

We, the Foreign Ministers of 🇪🇪🇱🇻🇱🇹 welcome the #IOC’s exclusion of Russia and Belarus - but we must do more to support #Ukraine & Olympic values.

Statement:

Here is my take:

🧵1/12 https://t.co/R2qaI22cV5bitly.ws/PbU8
Russia’s sporting community is deeply entangled with its military.

Ukraine’s sporting community is in the firing line of that same military.

We support athletes around the world🌍 concerned about the participation of athletes from aggressor nations at the #Olympics.

2/12