Building unified Baltic defence infrastructure should be coordinated with Finnish and Polish military experts, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics stated, LETA reports. Baltic cooperation with Finland and Poland was necessary to create an effective defence mechanism, he said. At the same time, Rinkevics reminded that Latvia was part of NATO’s defence planning. He discussed the issue…
Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas announced that she will not attend the Independence Day reception at the Estonia Theatre in Tallinn on 24 February 2024, ERR reports. Earlier, President Alar Karis decided not to invite most MPs to this year’s reception. Several MPs have expressed displeasure at the President’s decision. Kallas said that she would…
The decision of the three Baltic States to build a “Baltic defence line” is preparation for a possible Russian attack, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis stated, BNS reports. He said that the move served as a political message, seeking to draw the attention of allies to the threat posed by Russia. “If Russia is not…
Lithuania’s State Defence Council (VGT) has agreed to buy German-made Leopard 2 tanks for a planned new army division, Kestutis Budrys, chief national security adviser to President Gitanas Nauseda, announced, BNS reports. The council tasked the Defence Ministry to begin negotiations with German manufacturers and other countries interested in procuring the equipment. Also, the council…
Russian dictator Vladimir Putin dreams of restoring the Russian Empire, as indicated by Russian propaganda and hybrid warfare, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics stated, LETA reported. Speaking at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Rinkevics said that the Latvian government should remember that peacetime was over, stressing the need to boost the defence industry and defence…
Estonia’s opposition Fatherland (Isamaa) party and Estonian Centre Party (Keskerakond) have decided to end their filibustering in the parliament, the Riigikogu, for now, ERR reports. The two parties withdrew their numerous submitted amendments, saying that they were against obstructing parliamentary work. The opposition’s filibustering practically halted the Riigikogu’s spring and autumn sessions in 2023. In…
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has called a meeting of the State Defence Council (VGT) for 23 January 2024, BNS reports. The meeting will discuss a strategic threat assessment from the Lithuanian intelligence services, the structure of the national defence system, and the economic and financial measures for building an army division. Lithuania plans to establish…
Teachers in Estonia began a nationwide strike on 22 January 2024 to press for higher pay, ERR reports. The Estonian Education Personnel Union (EHL) said that altogether 9,471 teachers at 330 general education schools were taking part in the strike. The number of strikers will almost double to 18,176 when kindergarten and vocational school teachers…
Lithuania expects negotiations on Moldova’s EU membership to begin in March 2024, President Gitanas Nauseda said, BNS reports. Speaking after a meeting with Moldovan Prime Minister Dorin Recean on the sidelines of the World Economic Forum in Davos, Nauseda called on Moldova to “mobilise on reforms.” He added that Lithuania was ready to help Moldova…