Debate with the Prime Minister of the Republic of Latvia, Krišjānis Kariņš, on the Future of Europe (debate)
Tunne Kelam (PPE). – Mr President, this is also my last speech in this Parliament. The Prime Minister mentioned Russian threats. Today, Prime Minister, I think we need seriously to ask ourselves what more can be done, and what has been neglected, to efficiently counter these threats? Parliament has insisted on assessing the crimes of Communist totalitarianism equally with Nazi crimes. But this is not an historic problem. It has been a burning, everyday political problem for the last 19 years. If the Soviet KGB had received equally with Hitler’s Gestapo the same international and binding verdict as a criminal, murderous organisation, there would have been no chance that a Soviet Gestapo officer could have risen to lead today’s Russia.
But it’s not only about one person. In fact the Soviet Gestapo in corpora has usurped power from the Russian people, establishing a Mafia state. This state can endure only thanks to the merger of Russian and European corruption. At least USD 1.3 trillion of stolen Russian money has been laundered by Western banks. If we move effectively to stop these flows, Mr Putin will cease to exist.