The Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, has rejected the opposition Estonian Centre Party’s (Keskerakond) proposal to lower the VAT on basic food products to 9%, ERR reports. No MPs voted against the proposal, but 42 MPs, mostly from the ruling coalition, abstained. Under the proposal, the VAT on specific categories of food, including vegetables and dairy,…
The Baltic States and Poland can become a bridge to reinforce relations with the United States, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics said, LETA reports. Speaking at a joint press conference with visiting Polish President Karol Nawrocki in Riga, Rinkevics called on countries in the region to ensure that transatlantic ties are strengthened rather than weakened. He…
Russian businessman Vladimir Antonov, former owner of Lithuania’s collapsed Snoras bank, has been detained in France under a European Arrest Warrant issued by the Lithuanian Prosecutor General’s Office, BNS reports. Antonov was detained in Baden on 9 December 2025. Prosecutor General Nida Grunskiene said that work was underway to have him extradited to Lithuania. She…
The chairman of the supervisory council of Latvia’s state-owned railway operator, Latvijas Dzelzcels (LDz), Andris Liepins, and council member Reinis Ceplis have resigned, LETA reports. They highlighted the strategic transformation at LDz during their tenure. Liepins and Ceplis were appointed to LDz’s council in 2019. They will serve in their positions until the end of…
Estonia has only one foreign policy, Prime Minister Kristen Michal and Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna assured, ERR reports. Earlier, questions arose after President Alar Karis softened his remarks on the war in Ukraine during his state visit to Kazakhstan. Tsahkna stressed that Estonia’s foreign policy was centered on “standing against Russian aggression, supporting Ukraine, and…
The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has approved the state budget for 2026 with 80 votes for, 39 against, and 7 abstentions, BNS reports. Under the budget, annual revenues, including EU funds, will amount to EUR 21.07bn and expenditures to EUR 27.51bn. The government’s net borrowing limit has been increased to EUR 7.79bn, ELTA reports. The…
Latvia’s Road Transport Administration (ATD) has signed an agreement with Czechia’s Skoda Group for the purchase of nine battery-powered electric trains, LSM reports. Skoda was the only eligible bidder for the contract, LETA reported. Under the deal, worth EUR 89.409mn, Skoda is due to deliver the BEMU trains in 2029. ATD has an option to…
Estonia’s Harjumaa County Court has found a group of pro-Russian local politicians guilty of treason and activities against Estonia, sentencing them to several years in prison, ERR reports. The court found that Andrei Andronov, Aivo Peterson, and Dmitri Rootsi had undermined Estonia’s constitutional order and independence by taking part in Russia’s influence campaign targeted against…
Lithuania will seek support from the European Union and the United States to pressure the Belarusian regime into stopping smuggler balloons from flying into Lithuanian airspace, Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene announced, LRT reports. She said that the Lithuanian government was prepared to impose national sanctions or reclose the border with Belarus if diplomatic efforts with…