Latvia’s Interior Minister, Janis Dombrava, has called for an internal investigation of State Police chief Armands Ruks, LSM reports. Earlier, an off-duty police officer killed a man in Priekule and another police officer caused a road traffic accident near Aizkraukle, both while severely intoxicated, LETA and LSM reported. Speaking in an interview with TV3, Dombrava…
Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry has proposed expanding national sanctions against Russian and Belarusian citizens, BNS reports. Under the proposed draft legislation, Russian and Belarusian individuals and organisations would be barred from public cultural or sports events in Lithuania if they have operated in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, directly or indirectly support the war against Ukraine, or…
European Commission official Maive Rute has announced that she is willing to run for president of Estonia, ERR reports. Currently, Rute serves as deputy director-general of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, and Entrepreneurship (DG GROW). Her name was first mentioned as a possible presidential candidate by former president Toomas Hendrik Ilves in…
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has proposed stricter rules on migration, BNS reports. Under the proposal, labour migrants would be required to leave Lithuania for at least six months after every two years of work. Also, the labour migrant quota would include not only new migrants but also those already in Lithuania. Skirmantas Bikelis, senior research…
The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, has passed amendments banning the import of certain industrial goods from Russia and Belarus, LETA reports. The amendments ban the import of books, newspapers, video games, sporting goods, toys, clothing, and footwear either directly or indirectly from Russia and Belarus. Transit shipments of such goods to other countries will not…
Estonia’s newly appointed ambassador to the US, Hannes Hanso, has announced that he would be ready to run for president, ERR reports. Previously, Hanso has served as Estonia’s ambassador to China, defence minister, mayor of Kuressaare, MP, and MEP. He was a member of the Social Democratic Party (SDE) from 2009 to 2019. Speaking in…
New EU sanctions have forced the Russian-owned supermarket chain, Mere, to close down its discount stores in Latvia and Lithuania, LETA reports. The EU’s latest package of sanctions against Russia lists the companies operating the Mere chain, and their majority owner, Russian businessman Sergey Shnayder. They were sanctioned for supporting activities that undermine Ukraine’s territorial…
The party congress of Lithuania’s governing coalition member, the Union of Democrats for Lithuania (DSVL), has elected MEP Virginijus Sinkevicius as the party chairman for a four-year term, BNS reports. Sinkevicius defeated Health Minister Linas Kukuraitis soundly in the leadership vote. Sinkevicius has served as DSVL’s interim chairman since April 2026, following the resignation of…
Latvia’s Prosecutor General’s Office (LRP) has opened an investigation into national air carrier airBaltic’s finances, following a request from Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, LETA reports. The investigation will assess whether decisions taken in relation to airBaltic’s financial situation have been in compliance with the law. LRP carried out a similar investigation in late 2024, but…
