Lithuania will only consider the deployment of US nuclear weapons in the country in the event of a crisis or war, Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas stated, BNS reports. He assured that there was “no talk” of deploying weapons of mass destruction in Lithuania during peacetime. However, in a crisis or war, Lithuania should be prepared…
The number of nights spent in tourist accommodation increased in Estonia but decreased in Latvia and Lithuania in the first quarter of 2026, according to Eurostat data, LSM reports. The number of overnight stays in Lithuania totalled 2.05 million, which was down 12.9% from 1.78 million nights a year earlier. The decline was the biggest…
A petition initiated by the mayor of the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, Valdas Benkunskas, on stricter language rules for foreigners has collected more than 22,500 signatures, BNS reports. Under the proposal, non-EU residents would be required to have at least A2-level proficiency in Lithuanian after three years of residence. Earlier, Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic argued that…
Estonia’s exports of services totalled nearly EUR 3.3bn in the first quarter of 2026, which was up 4% from the same period of 2025, according to data from Statistics Estonia and the Bank of Estonia. Imports of services totalled around EUR 2.5bn, which was unchanged over a year. Estonia’s trade balance in services showed a…
The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has lowered its GDP growth forecasts for all three Baltic States in both 2026 and 2027, LETA reports. The bank now projects that Estonia’s GDP will grow by 2.1% in 2026 and 2.3% in 2027. In February 2026, the bank’s GDP growth forecast for Estonia was 2.2%…
The number of Lithuanian emigrants returning home exceeded the number of those who left the country for the sixth consecutive year in 2025, according to data from the State Data Agency (VDA), BNS reported. Altogether 19,310 Lithuanian citizens returned to the country, while 9,940 citizens moved away from Lithuania in 2025. The majority of those…
Estonia ensures much better protection for LGBT rights than Latvia and Lithuania, according to human rights group ILGA-Europe’s Rainbow Map, which ranks countries based on their legal and policy protection for LGBT people, LSM reports. Estonia ranked 21st on the index with a score of 46.37% on a scale of 0-100% in 2026, which was…
US President Donald Trump has nominated Keith Noreika to serve as the new US ambassador to Lithuania, LRT reports. If confirmed by the US Senate, Noreika will replace career diplomat Kara McDonald, who has served as ambassador since 2024. Noreika is a corporate lawyer specialising in financial regulation. He has served as executive deputy president…
The Baltic States are interested in hosting US military aircraft capable of carrying out nuclear strikes, LETA reports. Sources told the Financial Times that the US was considering the possibility of stationing nuclear-capable bombers in more NATO countries in Europe. According to the sources, countries on NATO’s eastern flank, including Poland and some Baltic States,…
