Newly released documents connected to the convicted US human trafficker, Jeffrey Epstein, include numerous mentions related to the Baltic States. Several documents refer to travel arrangements to Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania, Estonian World reports. Many messages refer, often in sexualised context, to women that Epstein or his associates had met in the Baltic States. Latvia…
Latvian monetary financial institutions (MFIs), mainly banks, generated an aggregate profit of EUR 341.7mn in 2025, which was down 34.5% from EUR 521.4mn in 2024, according to the Bank of Latvia, LETA reports. MFIs had assets totalling EUR 31.687bn at the end of 2025, which was up 5.9% from EUR 29.913bn a year earlier. The…
Gross domestic expenditure on research and development (R&D) in relation to GDP in the Baltic States was highest in Estonia in 2024, according to Eurostat data, LSM reports. R&D spending amounted to 1.99% of GDP in Estonia in 2024, which was up from 1.41% in 2014. Meanwhile, R&D expenditure stood at 1.04% (1.03%) of GDP…
Latvia’s national air carrier, airBaltic, intends to increase its presence in neighbouring Lithuania, according to the company’s new CEO, Erno Hildén, BNS reports. He said that the airline had plans for new destinations and more frequent flights, particularly to and from Vilnius. While acknowledging that airBaltic was facing significant financial challenges, Hildén vowed that his…
A member of the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) died while on duty near the Latvian capital, Riga, on 29 January 2026, LSM reported. Gunner Sebastian Halmagean was deployed in Latvia as part of a Canadian-led NATO brigade. He had served in the CAF for almost three years, and this was his first overseas deployment.
The defence ministers of the three Baltic States have signed a letter of intent on establishing a Baltic Military Mobility Area, LSM reports. The aim is to standardise border crossing procedures, coordinate the movement of military cargo, and ensure operational information exchange. Furthermore, the Baltic allies will work to align their military movement procedures with…
The foreign ministers of the three Baltic States and Finland expressed solidarity with Denmark and Greenland after US President Donald Trump repeated his claim that the US needed to annex Greenland, ERR reports. Earlier, Trump appointed Louisiana governor Jeff Landry as US special envoy to Greenland. Landry stated that he would work to make Greenland…
The number of housing transactions in Latvia increased by around 20% in the first three quarters of 2025, compared to the same period of 2024, according to real estate agency Latio, LETA reported. The data showed that it took an average of 47 days to sell a home at market price in December 2025, which…
Life satisfaction in the Baltic States was highest in Lithuania in 2024, according to Eurostat data, LSM reports. Lithuanian residents said that their overall satisfaction with life stood at 7.2 out of 10 points, which was the same as the EU average and unchanged from 2023. Meanwhile, life satisfaction was 7.1 (7.2) in Estonia and…