Thousands of people demonstrated in the centre of the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, against Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas on 8 July 2025, BNS reported. The protest rally was organised by the Democracy Forum and local activists. The demonstrators demanded answers from Paluckas on his current and past business dealings, an end to the current coalition with…
Poland has temporarily reinstated internal controls at 13 checkpoints on its border with Lithuania in response to increased secondary irregular migration via Belarus, LRT reports. Both Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service (VSAT) and the Lithuanian National Road Carriers Association (LINAVA) said that there were no traffic jams on the border on the first day of…
The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Volker Türk, has expressed “grave alarm” at the decision of the three Baltic States, Finland, Poland, and Ukraine, to withdraw from the Ottawa Treaty banning anti-personnel mines, BNS reported. Türk stressed that the international convention, which has over 160 state parties, was a crucial tool in “responding to…
German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier visited Lithuania on the country’s Statehood Day on 6 July 2025, BNS reported. He reaffirmed Germany’s commitment to Lithuania’s defence. Speaking at a joint press conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda in Vilnius, Steinmeier stated: “Your security is our security, your freedom is our freedom.” Germany is deploying a permanent brigade…
Three politicians in Lithuania are running to lead the opposition Lithuanian Liberal Movement (LLS), BNS reports. The candidates are the party’s current chairperson, MP Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, who has led the party since 2019, MP and former culture minister Simonas Kairys, and Plunge mayor Audrius Klisonis. LLS will elect its chair for a two-year term through…
The EU should take on joint debt to finance defence spending, Gediminas Simkus, board chairman of the Bank of Lithuania, stated, BNS reports. Speaking in an interview with Politico, Simkus called for “more unity in defence” in the EU, noting that the European defence industry market was still very fragmented. He said that the “time…
The Lithuanian Migration Department (LMD) has revoked the temporary residence permit of a Russian citizen for repeatedly travelling to Russia and Belarus, BNS reports. The person is the first to lose their residence status under a new law, which bars Russian citizens from travelling to either country more than once within any three-month period. LMD…
Lithuanian real estate developer Hanner and Baltic investment company BaltCap have completed a deal under which Hanner will take over the national stadium project in Vilnius, BNS reports. Hanner acquired 98% of shares in Venetus Capital, which owns the project’s concessionaire, Vilniaus Daugiafunkcis Kompleksas (VDK), for one euro. Hanner will pay EUR 2.8mn to BaltCap…
The Estonian government has rejected an offer to buy shares in Latvia’s national air carrier, airBaltic, LSM reports. Estonia’s Infrastructure Minister, Kuldar Leis, explained that the decision was due to the fact that airBaltic’s change of management had not been completed and its financial situation remained problematic. He said that Estonia would not raise airport…