The Lithuanian government has approved the draft state budget for 2027, BNS reports. Budget revenue, including EU funds, is expected at nearly EUR 22.2bn, which would be up 5.2% from 2026, BNS reports. Budget spending will total EUR 27.9bn, up 1.3% over a year. The State Social Insurance Fund’s (SoDra) revenue is projected at nearly…
The Estonian rare earths processor, NPM Silmet, plans to stop using raw materials from Russia’s state-owned Solikamsk Magnesium Works (SMZ) by the end of 2026, ERR reports. NPM Silmet said that it would have to reduce production at its plant in Sillamäe as a result. The company is still waiting for a final shipment from…
The Baltic States called on the EU to ban transit shipments of Russian grain through EU territory, BNS reported. Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal, Latvian Prime Minister Andris Kulbergs, and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda made the call in a joint letter to European Council President António Costa and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen….
The director of the US Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), John Ratcliffe, travelled to Moscow to warn Russia against attacking NATO countries, particularly the Baltic States, CBS, Politico, and The Wall Street Journal reported. Earlier, US intelligence assessed that Russia was considering attacks in the Baltic region to test NATO unity. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s spokesman,…
One of the prime architects of the restoration of Estonia’s independence, Siim Kallas, has died at the age of 77 years, his daughter, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas, announced, ERR reports. Kallas served as president of the Bank of Estonia in 1991-1995, member of the Estonian parliament, the Riigikogu, in 1995-2004 and 2019-2024, foreign…
Estonia has signed an agreement with the European Commission on up to EUR 2.34bn in long-term loans for defence investments through the EU’s Security Action for Europe (SAFE) programme, ERR reports. Under the agreement, the loan period will be 45 years. The Ministry of Defence will use the SAFE funding to acquire air defence capabilities,…
European Commission official Maive Rute has announced that she is willing to run for president of Estonia, ERR reports. Currently, Rute serves as deputy director-general of the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Internal Market, Industry, and Entrepreneurship (DG GROW). Her name was first mentioned as a possible presidential candidate by former president Toomas Hendrik Ilves in…
Estonia’s newly appointed ambassador to the US, Hannes Hanso, has announced that he would be ready to run for president, ERR reports. Previously, Hanso has served as Estonia’s ambassador to China, defence minister, mayor of Kuressaare, MP, and MEP. He was a member of the Social Democratic Party (SDE) from 2009 to 2019. Speaking in…
Estonia’s Chancellor of Justice, Ülle Madise, is currently the strongest candidate to become the country’s next president, according to experts, ERR reports. Another possible candidate often mentioned is longtime diplomat Jonatan Vseviov, current secretary general of the Estonian Foreign Ministry. Political scientist Tõnis Leht of the Liberal Citizen Foundation (SALK) suggested that both Madise and…
