Latvia: Government assessing removal of railway tracks to Russia

Latvia must be fully ready to dismantle railway tracks going to Russia if necessary, Foreign Minister Baiba Braze stated, LSM reports. However, she said that it would make no sense for Latvia to do so unilaterally. Latvia will coordinate the issue with Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, and Finland. Earlier, the presidents of the three Baltic States…

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Estonia: Border could be closed after Russian incursion: minister

Estonia could close its border with Russia after Russian border guards crossed illegally into Estonian territory, Interior Minister Igor Taro stated, ERR reports. The government will discuss a possible revision of the current threat assessment. Taro said that the response should be proportional. Estonian and Russian border guards met to discuss the incident. Even though…

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Lithuania: Parliament pushes disputed legislation on public broadcaster

After a marathon debate, the Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, approved in second reading amendments to legislation governing the appointment and dismissal of the head of the country’s public broadcaster, Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), BNS reported. Unexpectedly, MPs approved a satirical provision that would involve an opposition MP’s cat in the process of removing…

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Latvia: Russia not ready for peace: President, Foreign Minister

Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics expressed doubts about Russia’s readiness for peace in Ukraine, LETA reported. Speaking at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Evika Silina, Rinkevics said that Latvia fully supported both security guarantees for Ukraine and efforts to achieve peace. He noted that the positions of the United States, Europe, and Ukraine were…

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Estonia: Estonian protest after intrusion by Russian border guards

Estonia’s Foreign Ministry has handed a note of protest to the Russian embassy after three Russian border guards crossed into Estonian territory without permission, ERR reports. The Russian guards crossed the temporary control line between Estonia and Russia at the Vasknarva breakwater on the Narva River in the morning of 17 December 2025, ERR reported….

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Lithuania: Presidential adviser urges “de-escalation” with Belarus

Lithuania should “slightly de-escalate” tensions with Belarus, Deividas Matulionis, national security adviser to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, stated, LRT reported. Earlier, Belarus released 123 political prisoners in exchange for the US lifting sanctions on Belarusian potash fertilisers. Also, Belarus pledged to stop the incursion of smuggler balloons into Lithuanian airspace. Lithuania has halted transit shipments…

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Latvia: Court convicts ex-CEO of Latvian Railways for bribery

Latvia’s Riga Regional Court has overturned a lower court ruling in a bribery case involving the state-owned railway company, Latvijas Dzelzcels (LDz), BNS reports. The court found LDz’s former CEO, Ugis Magonis, and Estonian businessman Oleg Ossinovski guilty of bribery, sentencing Magonis to 2.5 years in prison and Ossinovski to a fine of EUR 151,700….

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Estonia: Foreign Minister pans President on helping Hungary

Estonia’s Foreign Minister, Margus Tsahkna, criticised President Alar Karis who suggested helping Hungary pay fines for cancelling oil contracts with Russia, ERR reported. Speaking in an interview with Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat, Karis urged Hungary to end the contracts. Tsahkna insisted that it would be “inconceivable” for states that had freed themselves of dependence on Russian…

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Baltic: Leaders stress security of eastern border

Leaders of the three Baltic States took part in the first Eastern Flank Summit, which was organised by Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, LETA reported. The summit was also attended by leaders from Bulgaria, Poland, Romania, and Sweden as well as EU defence commissioner Andrius Kubilius. Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal noted that Europe’s eastern…

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