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…
Estonia hopes to receive around EUR 6bn more from than it pays to the EU’s budget for 2028-2034, Finance Minister Jürgen Ligi said, ERR reports. Under the current budget proposal, Estonia would contribute EUR 4.8bn to the EU’s next multiannual financial framework. Estonia’s national allocation would amount to EUR 6.5bn and funds awarded competitively to…
The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, has approved in final reading the state budget for 2026, LSM reports. Altogether 52 MPs voted for and 42 against the budget bill. This is the current coalition government’s third budget. The government foresees annual revenues of EUR 16.1bn, which would be EUR 944.6mn more than in 2025. Budget expenditures…
The presidents of the three Baltic States met in the Latvian capital, Riga, on 4 December 2025 for their annual pre-Christmas meeting, LSM and BNS reported. Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics said that key issues discussed included defence and security, border protection, and support for Ukraine. He emphasised that “if you look at the map, the…
Recent Belarusian actions against Lithuania “could be recognised as terrorism,” Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene stated, BNS reports. She was referring to the launch of smuggler balloons from Belarus into Lithuanian airspace and the detention of Lithuanian trucks in Belarus. The actions endangered aviation security and violated international law, Ruginiene noted, saying that she was…
The Latvian parliament, the Saeima, has approved in final reading draft laws accompanying the state budget for 2026, LETA reports. MPs will now begin discussing the draft budget. The government’s budget priorities are national security, support for families with children, and high-quality education. Revenues are planned at EUR 16.1bn and expenditures at EUR 17.9bn. The…
Lithuania has submitted an application for EUR 6.375bn of support from the European Commission’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) instrument to finance around 50 defence projects, BNS reports. Deputy Defence Minister Karolis Aleksa said that Lithuania would use the EU funds to acquire tanks or tracked infantry fighting vehicles for a national army division. Also,…
The Norwegian-led Nordic-Baltic training camp for Ukrainian soldiers, Camp Jomsborg, was opened officially in southern Poland on 1 October 2025, ERR reports. The camp at the Polish Land Forces training ground in Nowa Deba will provide both basic training for soldiers and advanced courses for officers and specialists. The facility will be able to train…
Lithuanian cultural workers have rejected talks with Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene over their opposition to the appointment of Ignotas Adomavicius, member of the far-right populist party, Dawn of Nemunas, as Minister of Culture, BNS reports. Activists have set up a committee to coordinate protests and plans for a warning strike on 5 October 2025, LRT…