Europe has finally received the message, “loud and clear,” from successive US presidents that Europeans must take responsibility for their own security, Jonatan Vseviov, secretary general of the Estonian Foreign Ministry, said, ERR reports. He insisted that Europe must stand firm behind the principles that have made the current European security order possible — territorial…
The United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) urges Lithuania to reconsider its policy of turning back irregular migrants at the border with Belarus, BNS reports. Annika Sandlund, UNHCR representative to the Nordic and Baltic countries, said that Lithuania should review its emergency legislation that allows pushbacks. Even though irregular migrants were being used for…
The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, has approved amendments to introduce a reduced 12% value-added tax rate on selected basic food products in 2026, LETA reports. Under the amendments, the lower VAT rate will apply to various bread products, milk, poultry meat, and eggs. The reduced VAT will apply from 1 July 2026 to 30 June…
Lithuania may suspend regular passenger services to neighbouring Belarus and Russia, Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic stated, BNS reports. He said that such a measure was “definitely worth considering” in response to growing security threats from Belarus. However, the question was whether the move would have any real impact on the Belarusian regime or instead only…
The three Baltic States have joined Finland, Ireland, Poland, and Sweden in urging the EU to use frozen Russian assets to help Ukraine, LETA reports. The seven member states sent a joint letter to European Commission (EC) President Ursula von der Leyen and European Council President António Costa to express support for the EC’s proposal…
Lithuania’s opposition Homeland Union called on the ruling Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP) to cancel plans to abolish the country’s Desovietisation and Denazification Commission, LRT reports. Under the plan, responsibility for removing Soviet-era names and monuments would revert to municipalities. Homeland Union argued that the proposal would halt Lithuania’s decommunisation process, making Lithuania more…
The EU should make the implementation of a global minimum corporate income tax voluntary or abolish the tax altogether for small countries like Estonia, Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi insisted, ERR reported. He noted that the EU had made the global minimum tax mandatory for member states through a directive, which he said placed EU businesses…
The Baltic States will receive “special favour” from the United States in the future for being “model allies” who prioritise their own defence, US Secretary of Defence Pete Hegseth stated, ERR reports. The three Baltic countries have pledged to allocate 5% of their GDP to defence over the coming years. Allies that “fail to do…
Lithuania has asked the European Commission (EC) to help release Lithuanian trucks detained in neighbouring Belarus, BNS reports. Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys and Transport Minister Juras Taminskas urged the EC to draw up a coherent action plan to support EU haulage companies. Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said that around 280 Lithuanian trucks were stuck in…