Lithuania: Foreign Minister slams concessions on Russia sanctions
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys criticised concessions to Russia in the EU’s latest sanctions package,…
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Welcome to Via Baltica, your “information superhighway” for news from the three Baltic tigers of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania! Our founder and editor-in-chief is Kerkko Paananen, senior news analyst with more than two decades of professional expertise in covering and reporting on current affairs in the Baltic States. We aim to do one thing well:…
Lithuania: Foreign Minister slams concessions on Russia sanctions
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys criticised concessions to Russia in the EU’s latest sanctions package, BNS reported. He lamented that EU sanctions policy decisions were “increasingly driven by the economic interests of member states,” limiting the EU’s ability to increase pressure on Russia and weakening the impact of sanctions overall. Earlier, Lithuania’s EU ambassador, Nerijus…
Latvia: Proposal to merge three ministries into new economy ministry
Latvia’s National Alliance has proposed merging three ministries into a new Ministry of National Economy, LETA reports. Under the proposal, the new ministry would take over the functions of the current Ministry of Economics, Ministry of Climate and Energy, and Ministry of Smart Administration and Regional Development. Energy Minister Janis Vitenbergs of the National Alliance…
Estonia: Interior Minister urges banning million Russians from EU
The EU should ban the entry of over a million Russians for their involvement in the war of aggression against Ukraine, Estonia’s Interior Minister, Igor Taro, stated, BNS reports. Estonia has thus far added thousands of names to the list of individuals barred from entering the Schengen Area. Speaking in an interview with Kuku Raadio,…
Lithuania: Government preparing for airBaltic’s possible exit
Lithuania is drawing up a contingency plan in the event that Latvia’s national airline, airBaltic, reduces flights or withdraws entirely from Lithuania, Transport Minister Juras Taminskas announced, BNS reports. Earlier, Latvian Finance Minister Maris Kucinskis said that airBaltic would likely need to reduce its operations. Taminskas said that a sudden suspension of airBaltic’s flights would…
Latvia: President turns to state security over Luminor sale
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics has turned to the State Security Service (VDD) over Hungarian banking group OTP Bank’s plan to acquire the Baltic banking group, Luminor Bank, LSM reports. He noted that the statement of intent on the possible acquisition was just the start of the process, adding that regulatory approval for the deal would…
Estonia: Piano factory head nominated for president
A group of 30 public figures in Estonia have nominated Indrek Laul, CEO of Estonia Piano Factory, for president, ERR reports. The group behind Laul’s candidacy, which includes prominent entrepreneurs, academics, and cultural figures, stressed the need to bring together “knowledge, culture, and entrepreneurship.” Laul said that he would seek to unite “different worldviews, different…
Baltic: Deficit lowest in Lithuania, debt in Estonia in Q1/2026
Lithuania’s budget deficit was the smallest in the Baltic States in the first quarter of 2026, according to Eurostat data, BNS reported. Lithuania’s budget deficit stood at 0.9% of GDP, which was down from 1.7% in the fourth quarter of 2025. Estonia’s budget deficit amounted 1.2% (1.3%) and Latvia’s to 1.9% (2.4%) of GDP. Meanwhile,…
Lithuania: Appeals court finds far-right MP guilty of antisemitism
Lithuania’s Court of Appeal has found MP Remigijus Zemaitaitis, leader of the far-right populist party, Dawn of Nemunas (PPNA), guilty of antisemitism, BNS reports. The court found that Zemaitaitis had incited hatred against Jews and grossly trivialised the Holocaust, systematically distorting historical facts and making “dehumanising comparisons.” The court ordered the MP to pay a…
Latvia: Government, investors in talks over telecom deal
The Latvian government is holding talks with 23 potential investors on the acquisition of Swedish telecommunications group Telia’s shares in the Latvian telecommunication companies, Tet and Latvijas Mobilais Telefons (LMT), Economy Minister Viktors Valainis announced, LETA reported. He said that there was strong international interest in the deal and that the transaction was progressing largely…