Italy has taken over NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, replacing French and Romanian forces, BNS reports. Italy will deploy an air defence contingent of around 200 personnel with four Eurofighter Typhoon (EF-2000) fighter jets to the Siauliai air base in northern Lithuania. The outgoing French and Romanian detachments consisted of about 210 troops with four…
Lithuania plans to open an embassy in Brazil in October 2026, BNS reports. The embassy would be located in the Brazilian capital, BrasÃlia. Earlier, the Foreign Ministry planned to open the embassy in July 2026, ELTA reported. Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said that the embassy would help boost exports to Mercosur countries. Currently, Lithuania has…
Latvia has closed its border with Belarus for “technical reasons,” Interior Minister Janis Dombrava announced late on 31 July 2026, LSM reports. A day earlier, Dombrava urged Latvian residents not to travel across the border to or from Belarus. Kristine Petersone, spokesperson for Latvia’s State Border Guard (VRS), said that the border was closed due…
The Latvian government held an extraordinary meeting of ministers to discuss the Ministry of Transport’s report on the current situation of the country’s ailing national air carrier, airBaltic, on 30 July 2026, LSM reported. The government nominated the State Treasury to represent the state at airBaltic’s bondholder meeting on 3 August 2026. At the meeting,…
Lithuania’s first prime minister after the restoration of the country’s independence, Kazimira Prunskiene, has died at the age of 83, BNS reports. She joined the Lithuanian Communist Party in 1980, was elected to the Supreme Soviet of the Lithuanian Soviet Socialist Republic, and helped establish the country’s pro-independence movement, Sajudis. She was appointed prime minister…
Latvia’s Interior Minister, Janis Dombrava, has called for an internal investigation of State Police chief Armands Ruks, LSM reports. Earlier, an off-duty police officer killed a man in Priekule and another police officer caused a road traffic accident near Aizkraukle, both while severely intoxicated, LETA and LSM reported. Speaking in an interview with TV3, Dombrava…
Lithuania’s Foreign Ministry has proposed expanding national sanctions against Russian and Belarusian citizens, BNS reports. Under the proposed draft legislation, Russian and Belarusian individuals and organisations would be barred from public cultural or sports events in Lithuania if they have operated in Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, directly or indirectly support the war against Ukraine, or…
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…
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has proposed stricter rules on migration, BNS reports. Under the proposal, labour migrants would be required to leave Lithuania for at least six months after every two years of work. Also, the labour migrant quota would include not only new migrants but also those already in Lithuania. Skirmantas Bikelis, senior research…
