Lithuanian Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite has requested financial support from the EU to strengthen the protection of the country’s border with Russia, BNS reports. In a letter to EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Ylva Johansson, Bilotaite emphasised the need to modernise and update border surveillance systems, with costs estimated at nearly EUR 16mn and required…
Latvia has a shortage of more than 1,000 police officers, Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis stated, LSM reports. The biggest shortage is in the State Police. In 2023, as many as 200 more officers left the State Police than were recruited. Kozlovskis said that he would ask for more funding to raise salaries in internal affairs…
The Estonian Reform Party has proposed reducing the tax-free income threshold to boost government budget revenue, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas revealed, ERR reports. However, she said that Reform’s coalition partners, Estonia 200 and the Social Democratic Party (SDE), opposed the idea due to its potential adverse impact on low-income earners. Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets of…
Latvian police have arrested the suspect in a fire bomb attack on the office of Solvita Viba, director of the Museum of the Occupation of Latvia, LETA reports. Interior Minister Rihards Kozlovskis commended law enforcement for their swift work and noted the seriousness of the crime, considering it a threat to national security. He expects…
Lithuania will close down two more checkpoints on the border with Belarus as of 1 March 2024, BNS reports. Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite said that closing the checkpoints in Lavoriskes and Raigardas would allow authorities to enforce sanctions, prevent smuggling, and screen incoming travellers more effectively. Also, the National Security Commission (NSK) proposed cutting the…
Estonia may deport permanent residents who choose to take Russian citizenship, Prime Minister Kaja Kallas confirmed, ERR reports, citing Postimees. Earlier, Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets said that stateless persons who took Russian passports were likely to have their Estonian residence permits revoked and face deportation. Kallas argued that an individual who chooses to obtain Russian…
The Lithuanian government does not plan to close more checkpoints on the border with Belarus in the near future, Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte announced, LRT reports. However, she said that the possibility to do so remained, given that security threats persisted. A complete closure of the Belarus border would only be done in coordination with…
The Baltic States and Poland have agreed to close their borders with Belarus in the event of a “critical incident” involving the Russian private military company, Wagner Group, Polish Interior Minister Mariusz Kaminski announced, TVP World reports. Following their meeting in Warsaw, the Baltic and Polish interior ministers demanded that Belarus expel the Wagner mercenaries…
Lithuania does not rule out closing its borders with Belarus and Russia’s Kaliningrad region, Interior Minister Agne Bilotaite stated, The New Voice of Ukraine reports. She discussed the situation with the commander of the State Border Guard Service (VSAT). Bilotaite stressed that Lithuania must be prepared for various threats along the borders. Earlier, Lithuania decided…