Latvian Defence Minister Andris Spruds expressed scepticism about the idea of creating an “EU army,” LSM reported. Latvia’s position was that NATO was irreplaceable and constituted the cornerstone of European security, Spruds stated. He pointed out that NATO united most EU countries as well as non-EU countries, insisting that there was no need to duplicate…
Lithuania’s Foreign Minister, Gabrielius Landsbergis, has awarded German foreign and security policy experts Jessica Berlin and Benjamin Tallis as well as Finnish anti-disinformation expert Pekka Kallioniemi with the Order of the Star of Lithuanian Diplomacy, ELTA reports. Berlin is founder of the strategic consulting company, CoStruct, while Tallis is analyst at the German Council on…
Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry hosted the annual foreign and security policy conference, Snow Meeting, in Vilnius on 12 January 2024, Baltic News Network reported. The conference was attended by the foreign ministers of Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Sweden, as well as political leaders and security policy experts from several countries. The participants discussed support for Ukraine…
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that there was “nothing personal” in his decision not to invite Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis to a meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky at the Presidential Palace on 10 January 2024, BNS reports. He said that the meeting focused on military aid and defence industry cooperation, and that Defence Minister…
Latvia’s Foreign Minister, former prime minister Krisjanis Karins, would like to become a European Commissioner if he fails to win the race for the post of Secretary General of NATO, LETA reports. Latvia’s ruling New Unity party has yet to decide whether to name Karins or Latvia’s current EU commissioner, Valdis Dombrovskis, to top the…
A continuing confrontation between Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda and the government has delayed the appointment of a new ambassador to neighbouring Poland, LRT reports. The post has been vacant since September 2023, with Nauseda rejecting two candidates suggested by the government. The Office of the President has proposed changing the procedure for appointing ambassadors by…
Latvian Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins asserts that even if Ukraine regains control of all conquered territories, Russia will still remain a military threat to Europe, LETA reports. He argued that Russia’s government was rooted in imperialist ambitions and saw external enemies as a means to distract from domestic issues. Karins highlighted the changing security landscape…
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 has extended altogether EUR 595mn of aid to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression, which is equal to 0.85% of Latvia’s GDP, Ukrinform reports. Bilateral military assistance to Ukraine amounts to EUR 370mn. Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins noted that Latvian support included macro-financial, humanitarian, and development aid. Also, Latvia has provided…