Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky has concluded a two-day official visit to the three Baltic States. At a press conference with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, Zelensky said that his visit underscored the “shared trust” between nations in Russia’s neighbourhood, BNS reported. Speaking to a large crowd outside the Presidential Palace in Vilnius, Zelensky said that Russia…
Russia will close the Ivangorod checkpoint on the border with Estonia to road traffic as of 1 February 2024, ERR reports. Russia said that the move was due to “renovation work,” which will last until late 2025. Estonia has sent Russia a diplomatic note over the decision. The border crossing between Ivangorod and Estonia’s city…
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis expressed deep concerns about the West’s approach to Russian aggression against Ukraine, Euromaidan Press reported. In a Twitter thread, he warned against repeating historical mistakes and called for immediate action, urging the international community not to wait for a “Pearl Harbor effect.” Landsbergis criticised the 25-year attempt to contain Russian…
Latvia’s President Edgars Rinkevics and Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins strongly condemned the indiscriminate terrorist attacks by Palestinian group Hamas against Israeli citizens. They stressed that Israel had the right to defend its people. Latvia stands in solidarity with the people of Israel, Rinkevics stated. Karins insisted that the violence must stop. At the same time,…
Estonia’s President Alar Karis and Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna strongly condemned attacks by the Palestinian terrorist organisation, Hamas, against Israel, ERR reported. Tsahkna stated that Estonia stood in solidarity with Israel, which had a full right to defend itself and its people. Meanwhile, Marko Mihkelson, chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the Estonian parliament,…
The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, has passed a resolution calling on NATO to invite Ukraine as a new member at the defence alliance’s next summit in Washington in July 2024, BNS reports. The unanimous resolution noted that Ukraine was a provider of security that would strengthen NATO. The MPs pointed out that having Ukraine as…
The Baltic Assembly and the Nordic Council have agreed on new priorities of cooperation at their annual summit in the Estonian capital, Tallinn, BNS reports. In the 2024-2026 period, the two parliamentary cooperation organisations will focus on supporting Ukraine’s reconstruction and on defence against cyber threats and disinformation. Also, the eight parliaments will promote democracy…
Lithuania’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Jovita Neliupsiene, has met with the Vatican’s envoy to Lithuania, Petar Rajic, to discuss recent remarks by Pope Francis about Russia, BNS reports. Neither side provided details about the meeting, however. Earlier, the pontiff addressed young Catholics in Saint Petersburg, saying that they were “children of great Russia” and “of a…
Lithuania’s decision to distance from China and forge closer ties with Taiwan is one of the government’s most influential foreign policy initiatives, LRT reports. The move is part of Lithuania’s “values-based foreign policy,” which touts the country as a “freedom-loving outpost” in an increasingly authoritarian region. At the same time, officials admitted that the move…