The movements of the Russian private military company, Wagner Group, in Belarus do not present any direct threat to Latvia, the Ministry of Defence stated, LETA reports. The ministry noted that Latvia’s national security authorities have been on high alert ever since Russia started its full invasion of Ukraine. Meanwhile, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics said…
Lithuania’s President, Gitanas Nauseda, will propose stricter penalties for crimes against the state, BNS reports. The proposed amendments would introduce life sentences for organising or taking part in a coup. Currently, the maximum penalty for such an offense is 20 years in prison. Also, the president’s proposed legislation would introduce longer prison terms for being…
Sanctioned luxury cars are being shipped from EU countries to Russia via Lithuania, LRT’s investigation revealed. The luxury cars are usually purchased in Denmark or Germany and then transported to Russia via Lithuania and Belarus. Russian car dealers are openly advertising the transit route via Lithuania and Belarus. In 2022, the EU banned the sale…
The Baltic States will decouple from the BRELL power grid linked to Russia and Belarus in the beginning of 2025, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas announced, ERR reports. Earlier, Lithuania urged the Baltic States to synchronise their power grids with the continental European system ahead of schedule in 2024. Kallas noted that such a rapid…
The Lithuanian Migration Department (LMD) has revoked the residence permit of a Russian citizen, Vladimir Vodo, after the State Security Department (VSD) said that he posed a threat to national security, BNS reports. Vodo claims to be a journalist, yet spreads pro-Russian propaganda on social media and has contacts with Russian and Belarusian intelligence services, VSD…
Lithuania reopened the Medininkai checkpoint on the border with Belarus in the evening of 9 July 2023, the State Border Guard Service (VSAT) announced, BNS reports. VSAT closed the checkpoint on 7 July 2023 after Belarusian border guards refused to allow a Pakistani national back into Belarus. The Pakistani man was travelling on a bus…
Latvia’s President, Edgars Rinkevics, met with Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau in Riga, LETA reports. The two officials discussed the NATO summit in Vilnius, support for Ukraine, the situation in Belarus and Russia, and bilateral economic cooperation. Rinkevics expressed Latvia’s wish for Canada to expand its military presence in Latvia. Canada leads the NATO enhanced…
Despite diplomatic tensions, buses between Lithuania’s capital, Vilnius, and the Belarusian capital, Minsk, are running at full capacity, LRT reports. Buses remain the only form of public transport between Lithuania and Belarus, as train services have remained suspended since the start of the coronavirus pandemic and Lithuania’s airspace is closed to Belarusian aircraft. Moreover, Lithuania…
Following the introduction of stricter entry procedures for Russian citizens in the Baltic States in September 2022, over 4,000 Russians have been denied entry, Rustamas Liubajevas, commander of Lithuania’s State Border Guard Service (VSAT), announced, LRT reports. He said that Estonia had turned away 1,850, Lithuania 1,278, and Latvia 890 Russian citizens. Liubajevas revealed that…