Lithuania: Presidential aide urges against hasty exit from mine ban treaty

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda’s chief foreign policy adviser, Asta Skaisgiryte, urged against making “hasty steps” in withdrawing from the Ottawa Treaty banning anti-personnel mines, BNS reports. Speaking in an interview with Ziniu Radijas, Skaisgiryte called for a regional solution on the issue. She supported a collective withdrawal from the treaty by NATO’s eastern flank or…

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Lithuania: Defence chief content with defence funding of 4% of GDP

Raising Lithuania’s defence spending to 4% of GDP would allow the country’s new army division to reach full operational capacity by 2030, Lithuania’s defence chief, General Raimundas Vaiksnoras, stated, Baltic News Network reports. Lithuania’s new government has increased its borrowing limit for 2025 by around EUR 800mn. The full amount would raise the defence budget…

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Lithuania: Permanent defence barriers set up on border with Russia

Lithuania is deploying permanent counter-mobility measures on parts of its border with Russia’s Kaliningrad (Königsberg) region, LRT reports. The installations include barriers on the Queen Louise Bridge separating Panemune in Lithuania and Sovetsk on the Russian side to stop the movement of hostile vehicles. Defence Minister Laurynas Kasciunas said that the government planned to spend…

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Lithuania: Defence Minister invites countries to help demine Ukraine

Lithuania is assembling a coalition of countries to help Ukraine’s demining efforts, Defence Minister Arvydas Anusauskas announced, BNS reports. He said that besides Lithuania, the coalition now included Finland, Iceland, Norway, Sweden, and soon Denmark. The minister invited other countries to join with their instructors and equipment. The demining mission will operate in territories liberated…

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