Restricting Russians and Belarusians in the right to buy real estate, apply for a visa or obtain citizenship - such legislative changes are currently being discussed in the Lithuanian parliament.

Against the backdrop of a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the local deputies decided to strengthen security measures in their own country as well.

They are even willing to change the procedure for depriving citizenship in order to take it away from those who pose a threat to the state, says TSN. 

A country friendly to Ukraine, which has sheltered tens of thousands of Ukrainians and has supported Ukraine since the first day of the invasion, itself has borders with the aggressors Russia and Belarus, so from February 2022 it is looking for ways to protect itself from both external and internal enemies.

Lithuania has been living under a state of emergency for almost four hundred days.

It has already been extended several times, and it was within this regime that restrictions on the issuance of Schengen visas for Russians and Belarusians were introduced.

"After the end of the state of emergency in May, we want to revise these norms in the law.

As long as the war is going on, all these installations will also be in force," says Lithuanian Seimas deputy Žygimantas Pavillonis.

Currently, it is not only a matter of visa restrictions, citizens of Russia and Belarus, at least temporarily, want to be prohibited from applying for Lithuanian citizenship, and also to check them more thoroughly at the border for threats to national security.

Also, the deputies prefer to restrict citizens of the aggressor country from the right to buy real estate.

"Already after February, Russians bought a lot of property in Lithuania.

Russians are running away from Russia and buying beautiful apartments from us here in the old, beautiful city," the deputy adds. 

Currently, almost 15,000 citizens of Russia and almost 50,000 citizens of Belarus live in Lithuania.

Some of them integrated perfectly, started businesses and learned the language.

But they still remain representatives of their countries and, as experts on TV screens, call not to adopt these laws and not to introduce restrictions.

Another vivid example that there are no "good Russians" shook the country recently and even pushed the Diet to amend the law on the rules of revocation of citizenship.

One of the most famous figure skaters in Lithuania, Margarita Drobyazko is a Russian by origin, she received Lithuanian citizenship 30 years ago for her sports achievements, and during this time she never gave up her Russian passport.

She performed simultaneously in two countries.

Before the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Lithuanians took it leniently, but after Drobyazko went to Sochi with her skater husband to participate in the show of the Russian Tatyana Navka, the wife of the Kremlin spokesman, the skater's actions stirred up the country.

"She is openly against our values, support for Ukraine, which has been brutally attacked, where people are killed every day without any reason.

I cannot understand why such people should have Lithuanian citizenship", - says Prime Minister of Lithuania Ingrid Šimonite. 

Lithuanian deputies suggest taking away passports from people like Drobyazko.

We are talking about those who have dual citizenship and pose a threat to national security.

Opponents of the initiative fear restrictions on human rights, supporters cite other European states as an example.

"Latvians adopted the same law according to which foreign citizens who support aggression can be deprived of citizenship.

Such laws exist in 14 EU countries and Great Britain," states MP Dalia Asanaviciute. 

Currently, this law, as well as a number of proposals with restrictions on Russians and Belarusians, have passed the first reading.

Further, according to the procedure of the Lithuanian Parliament, discussions and additions continue.

"We have three readings of this law.

I think there will be no changes regarding visas.

We will definitely not open the door to Lithuania not only to those who support the regime, but also to normal people who live like "their house from the edge".

We don't like them," Pavillonis assures. 

Currently, Lithuanian deputies are still working on changes to the laws.

If approved, they will be temporary, at least for a year.

But the Lithuanians do not rule out that, in accordance with the situation in Ukraine, they will be able to extend it.

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