Lithuania: Homeland Union chair urges to block radicals from power

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis, chairman of the ruling Homeland Union (TS-LKD), called on President Gitanas Nauseda to set up a “cordon sanitaire” to prevent radical political forces from coming to power after the parliamentary elections in October 2024, BNS reports. Speaking in an interview with Ziniu Radijas, Landsbergis warned that pandering to radical political…

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Estonia: Mongolia failed to help end Ukraine war: Foreign Minister

Estonia was “very disappointed” that Mongolia decided to welcome Russian President Vladimir Putin, Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna said, BNS reports. He reminded that all parties to the Rome Statute are obligated to comply with the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Putin. The fact that the Mongolian government decided to…

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Lithuania: Turkish bid to join BRICS “undermines trust”: Foreign Minister

Türkiye’s application to join the BRICS group undermines trust in the country, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis stated, BNS reports. He pointed to questions on how to reconcile positions within NATO between countries that support Ukraine and those that are pro-Russian. “All this undermines trust,” he added. Meanwhile, Asta Skaisgiryte, chief foreign policy adviser to…

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Lithuania: Israeli president’s visit postponed amid Mideast tensions

Israeli President Isaac Herzog has postponed his planned visit to Lithuania amid further tensions in the Middle East, Asta Skaisgiryte, chief foreign policy adviser to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, announced, BNS reports. Speaking in an interview with Ziniu Radijas, Skaisgiryte said that Lithuania wanted the situation in the Middle East to “calm down a bit,”…

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Lithuania: Foreign Minister slams Mongolia for Putin visit

Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis criticised Mongolia for the visit of Russian President Vladimir Putin to the country, BNS reports. Landsbergis said that Mongolia’s refusal to arrest Putin despite the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrant was “another crack in the system based on international law.” The ICC issued the arrest warrant on Putin over…

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Lithuania: Andrius Kubilius eyes EU defence or enlargement portfolio

Lithuania’s likely EU commissioner nominee, MEP Andrius Kubilius, named security, defence, or EU enlargement as his possible portfolios on the European Commission (EC), BNS reports. Asta Skaisgiryte, chief foreign policy adviser to President Gitanas Nauseda, also noted that EU enlargement and defence were focus policy areas for Lithuania. Speaking in an interview with Ziniu Radijas,…

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Lithuania: President calls for tighter immigration policy

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda called for limiting the number of immigrants entering the country, BNS reports. Speaking on LRT, Nauseda argued that “uncontrolled immigration was, first and foremost, a national security issue.” Given the “demographic hole” that Lithuania faces, failure to control immigration could lead to “outcomes none of us want,” Nauseda stated. He insisted…

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Lithuania: Labour Party leader suspected of fraud

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) is investigating former Lithuanian MEP Viktor Uspaskich (Viktoras Uspasckichas) for possible fraud, LRT reports. EPPO suspects Uspaskich, founder and leader of the opposition Labour Party, of hiring fake assistants to misappropriate more than EUR 500,000 from the European Parliament. In April 2024, police searched the offices of the Labour…

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