The Center for Security Policy believes that historical experience validates the view expressed by Landsbergis and rebuts the pump-priming approach advocated by apologists for the Soviet regime like Shevardnadze.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Freedom Flame 2013

Last week, several conservative Euro-MPs from the former communist bloc - led by former Lithuanian President Vytautas Landsbergis and Hungarian Joszef Szajer - asked for communist symbols to be treated in the same way as Nazi ones.

BBC: NEWS | Europe | EU rejects Communist symbol ban

In sharp contrast, Lithuanian President Vytautas Landsbergis used his own appearance in Washington yesterday to argue that far from being a catalyst for structural change in the Soviet Union Western aid actually helps the Kremlin to stave off such change.

CENTERFORSECURITYPOLICY: Freedom Flame 2013