Baltic: Foreign ministers show solidarity with Denmark, Greenland

The foreign ministers of the three Baltic States and Finland expressed solidarity with Denmark and Greenland after US President Donald Trump repeated his claim that the US needed to annex Greenland, ERR reports. Earlier, Trump appointed Louisiana governor Jeff Landry as US special envoy to Greenland. Landry stated that he would work to make Greenland…

Read More

Lithuania: Coalition to push forward disputed public broadcaster law

Lithuania’s ruling coalition plans to go ahead with legislation that would make it easier to dismiss the director general of the country’s public broadcaster, Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), BNS reports. Juozas Olekas, speaker of the Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, said that the coalition intended to submit a new version of draft amendments after…

Read More

Lithuania: Belarus must stop balloon incursions: Foreign Minister

Lithuania expects Belarus to honour its pledge to stop smuggler balloons from flying into Lithuanian airspace, Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys stated, BNS reports. Earlier, US President Donald Trump’s special envoy, John Coale, announced that Belarusian leader Alyaksandr Lukashenka had promised to halt the balloon incursions. Budrys warned that failure to honour the pledge would affect…

Read More

Lithuania: PM backs down on public broadcaster legislation

Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene called on the country’s parliament, the Seimas, not to approve controversial amendments that would make it easier to dismiss the director general of Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), BNS reported. Ruginiene said that legislation should ensure LRT’s editorial independence, protect freedom of speech, and improve governance. At the same…

Read More

Latvia: Government assessing removal of railway tracks to Russia

Latvia must be fully ready to dismantle railway tracks going to Russia if necessary, Foreign Minister Baiba Braze stated, LSM reports. However, she said that it would make no sense for Latvia to do so unilaterally. Latvia will coordinate the issue with Estonia, Lithuania, Poland, and Finland. Earlier, the presidents of the three Baltic States…

Read More

Lithuania: Parliament pushes disputed legislation on public broadcaster

After a marathon debate, the Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, approved in second reading amendments to legislation governing the appointment and dismissal of the head of the country’s public broadcaster, Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), BNS reported. Unexpectedly, MPs approved a satirical provision that would involve an opposition MP’s cat in the process of removing…

Read More

Latvia: Russia not ready for peace: President, Foreign Minister

Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics expressed doubts about Russia’s readiness for peace in Ukraine, LETA reported. Speaking at a joint press conference with Prime Minister Evika Silina, Rinkevics said that Latvia fully supported both security guarantees for Ukraine and efforts to achieve peace. He noted that the positions of the United States, Europe, and Ukraine were…

Read More

Lithuania: Presidential adviser urges “de-escalation” with Belarus

Lithuania should “slightly de-escalate” tensions with Belarus, Deividas Matulionis, national security adviser to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, stated, LRT reported. Earlier, Belarus released 123 political prisoners in exchange for the US lifting sanctions on Belarusian potash fertilisers. Also, Belarus pledged to stop the incursion of smuggler balloons into Lithuanian airspace. Lithuania has halted transit shipments…

Read More

Estonia: Foreign Minister pans President on helping Hungary

Estonia’s Foreign Minister, Margus Tsahkna, criticised President Alar Karis who suggested helping Hungary pay fines for cancelling oil contracts with Russia, ERR reported. Speaking in an interview with Finnish newspaper Ilta-Sanomat, Karis urged Hungary to end the contracts. Tsahkna insisted that it would be “inconceivable” for states that had freed themselves of dependence on Russian…

Read More