Latvia’s Corruption Prevention and Combating Bureau (KNAB) has searched three hospitals in Riga and Valmiera in a case involving suspected fraud of EU and state budget funds, LSM reports. KNAB carried out searches in more than 17 locations across Latvia, including at the Pauls Stradins Clinical University Hospital (PSKUS) and the Traumatology and Orthopaedics Hospital…
Europe cannot act as mediator in peace talks between Ukraine and Russia, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna stated, ERR reports. Speaking in an interview on ERR, he said that Russia was trying to pull Europe into taking the role of mediator so as to escape new sanctions. Russia fears that the EU will impose a…
Latvia’s population has dropped at the highest rate in the entire EU over the last 20 years, according to Eurostat, LSM reported. Latvia’s population declined by 17% in 2005-2025. Meanwhile, Lithuania’s population decreased by 14%, whereas Estonia’s population only declined by 1% over the same period. The population totalled 2.89 million people in Lithuania, 1.86…
The US Department of State has sent a letter to Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine, asking them to lift sanctions on Belarusian potash and allow transit shipments through their territories, RFE/RL reports. The letter stated that US companies were interested in buying Belarusian potash shipped via Baltic or Ukrainian ports so as to avoid Russian ports….
Leaders of NATO and the EU expressed full support for the Baltic States after Russian threats, ERR reported. Russia accused the Baltic States of allowing Ukrainian drone strikes from their territory, threatening retaliation. NATO secretary general Mark Rutte called the Russian accusations “absolutely ridiculous,” while European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen stated that the…
The government of North Macedonia has decided to open an embassy in the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, Media Information Agency reports. The embassy will represent Macedonia’s interests across the three Baltic States. The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry welcomed the decision and reaffirmed Lithuania’s support for Macedonia’s EU membership, BNS reported. Lithuania and Macedonia established diplomatic relations in…
Estonia’s incumbent president, Alar Karis, does not have sufficient support in the parliament, the Riigikogu, to be elected for a second term, according to Kristina Kallas, chairwoman of the liberal coalition party, Estonia 200 (E200), ERR reports. Kallas said that a majority of E200 MPs did not support Karis, and she called for considering other…
The European Commission has approved an additional EUR 153mn in funding for Lithuania under the EU’s Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF), BNS reports. The funds are due to be disbursed in July 2026. So far, Lithuania has received EUR 2.69bn under its national recovery plan. Lithuania will submit its final RRF payment request in September…
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda denied that the US was pressuring Lithuania to reopen transit shipments of fertilisers from Belarus, BNS reported. He stressed that Belarusian fertilisers were under EU sanctions and insisted that there were no grounds to lift the sanctions. Earlier, Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys told a closed-door meeting of the parliamentary group of…