On Wednesday, the European Parliament held a debate on the future of EU support for Russian democratic forces, anti-war actors and repressed civil society, highlighting the need to stand with those resisting the Kremlin's authoritarian regime.

Speaking in plenary, Polish MEP Mariusz Kamiński said:

“I am pleased that today we are talking about a different Russia – a Russia that would no longer pose a mortal threat to the free world and would no longer be drenched in the blood of innocent victims.

“But is such a Russia possible at all?”- Mr Kamiński asked, recalling that Russia’s history has been marked by dictatorship—from the Tsars to the Soviet regime and now Putin—while democratic values have never truly taken root in the country.

Kamiński underlined that those who oppose the Kremlin continue to pay the highest price for their courage and that European support should be directed towards those committed to genuine democratic values.

Kamiński said:

“When we look at the history of this country, it is difficult to find reasons for optimism. Both Tsarist Russia and Red Russia were aggressive, imperialist states. Putin draws from both of these traditions. Values such as democracy, human rights, and civil liberties have never taken root in Russia.

“Those who stand up to dream of turning Russia into a civilised state are simply murdered. This was the fate of Anna Politkovskaya, Boris Nemtsov and Alexei Navalny. Today, there is no organised opposition in Russia. This does not mean, however, that we should not support those who, mostly living in exile, declare their opposition to the dictatorship. Such support must, however, be proportionate to the actions they actually take and to the values they genuinely uphold.

“We must also remember that nearly 20% of the citizens of modern Russia are representatives of national minorities. Their national aspirations deserve respect.”

The ECR Group believes that supporting Russian democratic forces and anti-war voices is essential to countering the Kremlin’s aggression.