The president of the European Commission (EC), Ursula von der Leyen, has presented her list of candidates for EU commissioners, ERR reports. Estonia’s former prime minister, Kaja Kallas, was named as candidate for EU’s foreign policy chief earlier. If confirmed by the European Parliament, she will be one of six EC vice-presidents. Meanwhile, von der…
An unidentified flying object crossed into Latvian airspace in Kraslava municipality from neighbouring Belarus in the morning of 17 September 2024, the Ministry of Defence announced, LETA reports. NATO fighter jets were scrambled from the Lielvarde air base, but no suspicious objects were found in Latvian airspace. Earlier, a Russian military attack drone crashed in…
The Baltic and Polish parliamentary committees of European affairs held a joint meeting in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, on 15-16 September 2024, BNS reported. The committees urged the EU to strengthen the protection of Poland’s border amid a new surge in migrant flows. Zygimantas Pavilionis, chairman of the European affairs committee of the Lithuanian parliament,…
The foreign ministries of Estonia and Latvia will hold their annual seminar in the border town of Valga on 17-18 September 2024, LSM reports. Foreign ministers Margus Tsahkna and Baiba Braze will open the seminar, which is now being held for the ninth consecutive year. The ministers and foreign service officials will discuss defence and…
Belarus has deployed military equipment and troops to its border with Lithuania, according to the OSINT monitoring group, Belarusian Hajun, RBC-Ukraine reports. The group said that the Armed Forces of Belarus (USRB) had transferred a tactical group of the 19th Mechanised Brigade to the Hudahaj station in Hrodna region, just seven kilometres from the border…
Latvia has built four surveillance towers on the country’s border with Belarus, Baltic News Network reports. The state real estate company, Valsts Nekustamie Ipasumi (VNI), said that the towers, located on the Daugava River section of the border, would enable monitoring the border more effectively. VNI plans to build altogether six towers on the border….
Estonia’s Interior Ministry needs EUR 40mn to complete the deployment of infrastructure on the country’s border with Russia by the end of 2025, Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets estimated, ERR reports. He said that the infrastructure included fencing, technological equipment, access roads, and communication systems. The overall cost could rise to EUR 100mn if the government…
The three Baltic States have granted temporary protection to altogether 158,985 Ukrainian nationals fleeing the war, according to Eurostat data, LSM reports. Lithuania had granted temporary protection to 79,085 Ukrainian refugees at the end of July 2024, compared to 46,080 in Latvia and 33,820 in Estonia. The share of Ukrainian refugees in relation to the…
Lithuania should aim to raise its defence budget to 4% of GDP, Defence Minister Laurynas Kasciunas stated, BNS reports. He said that this would allow Lithuania to maintain existing capabilities and acquire long-range air defence systems and combat helicopters. Earlier, President Gitanas Nauseda urged to raise defence spending to at least 3.5% of GDP. Lithuania’s…