The death of a Lithuanian volunteer, Valerijus Polkovnikovas, in Ukraine has caused controversy as it was initially believed to be related to frontline injuries, which later turned out to be untrue, Baltic News Network reports. Defence Minister Arvydas Anusauskas first expressed condolences and praised the fallen fighter in a social media post but quickly deleted…
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has appointed Gintautas Jakstas as the country’s new Minister of Education, Science, and Sport, ELTA reports. Prior to his appointment, Jakstas was Deputy Minister of Education. The previous Education Minister, Jurgita Siugzdiniene, resigned after an expense scandal. Following the resignation, Justice Minister Ewelina Dobrowolska served as acting Minister of Education.
There is growing momentum within Lithuania’s ruling coalition to initiate an impeachment procedure in the parliament, the Seimas, against MP Remigijus Zemaitaitis due to his repeated antisemitic remarks, ELTA reports. The ruling parties are also preparing a joint statement to condemn Zemaitaitis’s actions, with hopes that opposition groups in the parliament will join the initiative….
Almost two thirds of residents in Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, prefer to drink tap water, according to a Norstat LT poll for the municipal water supplier, Vilniaus Vandenys, ELTA reports. The survey showed that 71% of Vilnius residents preferred tap water to bottled water. In a similar survey done in 2021, just 44% of Vilnius residents…
A significant quantity of chemicals of unknown origin was discovered during an inspection of the property of Lithuania’s Public Security Service (VST) in Kaunas, according to the Ministry of Interior, DELFI reports. Arunas Paulauskas, deputy head of VST, said that the chemicals were originally transferred to VST by the Kaunas Prosecutor’s Office for storage and…
Switzerland’s EuroChem Group has announced its decision to temporarily suspend operations at its Lithuanian fertiliser plant, Lifosa, DELFI reports. The company said that sanctions have hindered the plant’s profitability. The Lifosa plant has been closed for scheduled repairs since May 2023. However, EuroChem has now confirmed that it has been unable to find a viable…
A group of MPs in Lithuania will submit to the parliament, the Seimas, a draft law to recognise the Communist Party of Lithuania (KPL) as a criminal organisation, ELTA reports. If approved, the law would impose legal consequences on KPL members who held leadership positions, restricting their participation in political and diplomatic activities in Lithuania….
The invitation for Ukraine to join NATO must be "clear and irrevocable," Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis stated, The Baltic Times reports. Speaking after a leadership meeting at the presidential palace to prepare for the NATO summit in Vilnius, Landsbergis reiterated Lithuania’s full support for Ukraine’s aspiration to join NATO. The meeting was also attended…
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda believes that NATO’s upcoming Vilnius summit will reach agreements that will "not disappoint" Ukraine in its fight against Russian invasion, LRT reports. Speaking in an interview with BNS, Nauseda said that the summit was unlikely to invite Ukraine to join the alliance after the war, however. Instead, NATO countries are expected…