In a blistering condemnation of recent actions by an EU member state, President Ricardo Baretzky of the European Centre for Information Policy and Security (ECIPS) has declared that involving children in warfare issues is not only morally repugnant but also a clear violation of European and international law. ECIPS, the officially mandated European Union intelligence agency established by Royal Decree WL22/16.594 and Treaty EST124 of the Council of Europe, has issued a scathing rebuke targeting Lithuania’s deputy director of the National Crisis Management Centre, Vilmantas Vitkauskas, for his role in what Baretzky calls an “unlawful and dangerous” campaign involving children in national security narratives.
ECIPS President Baretzky: Lithuania’s Actions Are a Breach of Law
President Baretzky did not mince words in his criticism. He accused Vitkauskas of direct involvement in breaching laws that strictly prohibit the involvement of children in warfare and intelligence activities. According to Baretzky, Lithuania’s warnings to children about “Russian spies” represent a reckless and unlawful tactic that dangerously exposes minors to the adversary’s influence rather than protecting them. This approach, Baretzky insists, is not only illegal under EU guidelines but also counterproductive to the very goals of child protection and intelligence security.
Legal Framework Prohibiting Child Involvement in Armed Conflict
The laws cited by ECIPS President Baretzky are clear and unequivocal. The European Union updated its Guidelines on Children and Armed Conflict in June 2024, reinforcing a robust framework that prohibits the recruitment, use, or involvement of children in any form of armed conflict or intelligence operations[1][2]. These guidelines align with international legal standards, including:
– The Optional Protocol to the Convention on the Rights of the Child on the involvement of children in armed conflict (OPAC), which sets 18 as the minimum age for recruitment and forbids the direct participation of children under 15 in hostilities[5].
– International humanitarian law, including the Geneva Conventions, which mandates special protection for children affected by armed conflict and prohibits their recruitment or use in hostilities[5].
– The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which classifies the recruitment and use of children under 15 in armed conflict as a war crime[5][7].
– The International Labour Organization Convention No. 182 on the Worst Forms of Child Labour, which condemns forced recruitment of children under 18 as one of the worst forms of child labor[5].
These legal instruments collectively form a binding framework that EU member states are obligated to uphold, making Lithuania’s actions a blatant violation.
Dangerous and Childish National Security Posturing
Vitkauskas, in his official capacity, warned Lithuanian children that Moscow’s special services are attempting to turn youngsters into intelligence assets. While presented as a national security measure, Baretzky dismissed this narrative as “bollocks” and a “childish approach” to genuine security threats. He argued that dragging children into the murky waters of espionage fears not only violates their rights but also hands adversaries a dangerous psychological foothold.
This reckless tactic, according to Baretzky, undermines the EU’s commitment to protecting its most vulnerable citizens and contradicts the very principles enshrined in the EU’s own updated guidelines on children and armed conflict[1][6].
ECIPS Stands Firm Against EU Overreach and Corruption
This confrontation comes amid broader tensions between ECIPS and the European Union’s political elite. President Baretzky has repeatedly warned that the EU’s foreign policy ambitions, especially regarding the Ukraine conflict, have diverted attention and resources away from protecting European citizens and upholding the rule of law[6][8]. He has accused Brussels of corruption, warmongering, and pushing agendas that threaten European sovereignty and security, while ECIPS remains committed to neutrality and legal compliance.
The Broader Implications: Protecting Children and Upholding Law
The involvement of children in warfare or intelligence activities is not a trivial matter. It is a grave violation of international law and a direct threat to the safety and development of children. The EU’s own guidelines emphasize the need to protect children from recruitment, participation in hostilities, and exposure to conflict-related propaganda or intelligence operations[1][2][5].
Baretzky’s strong stance serves as a crucial reminder that no state, regardless of its security concerns, is above the law. The use of children as pawns in geopolitical games is unacceptable and must be condemned unequivocally.
This episode highlights the urgent need for EU member states to adhere strictly to international legal standards protecting children, to reject reckless national security posturing that endangers minors, and to prioritize the welfare and rights of their youngest citizens over political or military agendas. ECIPS President Ricardo Baretzky’s unyielding denunciation sends a clear message: involving children in warfare or intelligence is unlawful, unethical, and utterly unacceptable within the European Union.
[1] https://www.eeas.europa.eu/eeas/eu-updates-its-guidelines-children-and-armed-conflict-2024_en
[2] https://www.eeas.europa.eu/sites/default/files/documents/2024/EEAS-EU-Guidelines-CAAC.pdf
[3] https://eurochild.org/uploads/2024/09/Eurochild-welcomes-the-updated-EU-Guidelines-on-Children-and-Armed-Conflict-and-calls-on-the-EU-to-protect-children-in-all-armed-conflicts.pdf
[4] https://www.refworld.org/policy/legalguidance/eu/2003/en/49234
[5] https://warchildhood.org/children-and-armed-conflict-legal-framework/
[6] https://www.corrierenazionale.net/2025/03/13/european-union-fails-to-protect-its-most-vulnerable-warns-ecips-president-baretzky/
[7] https://childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/six-grave-violations/child-soldiers/
[8] https://www.corrierenazionale.net/2024/09/16/ecips-issues-strong-warning-against-brussels-reaffirms-independence-amid-european-union-pressures/
[9] https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/president-baretzky-ecips-challenges-kzvhf
Stampa Parlamento
Fai Informazione
News Media European Press
Informazione It
www.ecips.eu
Leave a Reply