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,…
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…
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…
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,…
The US will deploy a new rotational unit of troops in Estonia in summer 2026, Estonian Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur announced, ERR reported. The unit will stay until the end of 2026, ERR reports. Also, Pevkur said that the US would resume deliveries of ammunition to Estonia “in the coming months,” ERR reported. Pevkur said…
Hungarian banking group OTP Bank’s operations in Russia raise “legitimate questions” about its ​planned acquisition of the Baltic banking group, Luminor Bank, Lithuania’s central bank, the Bank of Lithuania, stated, Reuters reports. Earlier, OTP Bank announced that it had signed an agreement to buy Estonia-based Luminor. The Bank of Lithuania said that the European Central…
Over half of car drivers in Estonia ignore traffic lights, according to a study done by the Estonian Transport Administration in September-November 2025, ERR reported. The study showed that an average of 58% of drivers ignored yellow lights and 9% of drivers ran red lights. The share of red-light violations was relatively similar across the…
Hungary’s OTP Bank has signed an agreement to acquire the Baltic banking group, Luminor Bank, from US-based private equity fund manager Blackstone and Norway’s DNB Bank, Baltic News reports. OTP Bank had already expressed interest in acquiring Luminor several years ago, LETA reported. Luminor is the third-largest provider of financial services in the Baltic States….
Russia may launch attacks against the Baltic States or Poland, Lithuania’s Defence Minister, Robertas Kaunas, warned, LRT reports. Being unable to win the war against Ukraine, Russia may target the Baltic States or Poland to secure “some kind of new win,” Kaunas suggested. He said that Lithuania was drawing up additional contingency plans to respond…
