Kremlin: No hope of reparations from Russia for Soviet occupation
Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov and a number of Russian elected officials took a firm stance on Wednesday that none of the Baltic countries would see reparations from Russia for damages incurred by decades of Soviet occupation, adding that the Russian Federation could not be held responsible for Soviet deeds.
"It is a very old topic, and hotheads — let's call them that — keep raising the issue," Kremlin press secretary Dmitry Peskov told the media on Wednesday. "There is probably nothing new here. First, we don't agree with the term 'Soviet occupation.' Second, we don't agree with talk of compensating for something."
He also stated that "the contributions made by the Soviet Union to the development of the infrastructure, economy and social sphere cannot be forgotten."
Chairman of the State Duma Committee on International Affairs Leonid Slutsky called Tallinn and Riga's demands "hopeless and pointless," and Chairman of the Federation Council Committee on International Affairs Konstantin Kosachyov said that Russia could not be held either morally or legally responsible for Soviet authorities' deeds.
The Ministers of Justice of Estonia and Latvia in a statement on Tuesday emphasised the importance of remembering the victims of the Soviet occupation and exploring the possibilities for submitting compensatory claims against the Russian Federation as the legal successor of the Soviet Union.
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Editor: Aili Vahtla
Source: BNS