Latvia has extended altogether EUR 595mn of aid to Ukraine since the beginning of Russia’s war of aggression, which is equal to 0.85% of Latvia’s GDP, Ukrinform reports. Bilateral military assistance to Ukraine amounts to EUR 370mn. Foreign Minister Krisjanis Karins noted that Latvian support included macro-financial, humanitarian, and development aid. Also, Latvia has provided…
Russia’s Ministry of Interior has placed Kamile Seraite, member of the city council of the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, on its wanted list, BNS reports, citing Russian independent media outlet Mediazona. Seraite has campaigned for the removal of Soviet-era monuments and street names in Vilnius. She chairs the city’s Historical Memory Commission, which is in charge…
Finnish authorities suspect that Russia attacked the Balticconnector gas pipeline between Finland and Estonia, Finnish daily Iltalehti reports. The undersea pipeline in the Gulf of Finland was closed due to a leak on 8 October 2023. At the same time, telecommunications operator Elisa’s data cable between Finland and Estonia was damaged as well, ERR reports. Finnish…
Estonia’s President Alar Karis and Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna strongly condemned attacks by the Palestinian terrorist organisation, Hamas, against Israel, ERR reported. Tsahkna stated that Estonia stood in solidarity with Israel, which had a full right to defend itself and its people. Meanwhile, Marko Mihkelson, chairman of the foreign affairs committee of the Estonian parliament,…
Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics is paying a working visit to Finland on 28 September 2023, YLE reports. Speaking at a joint press conference with Finnish President Sauli Niinistö, Rinkevics noted that Latvia and Finland were “like-minded countries” that were “facing similar geopolitical challenges.” The two presidents discussed bilateral relations, including a joint plan to begin…
Estonia’s parliament, the Riigikogu, has voted against forming a committee to investigate the Russian business interests of Prime Minister Kaja Kallas’s husband, ERR reports. Altogether 55 MPs voted against and 16 in favour of setting up the committee. Earlier, the parliament’s constitutional committee rejected the idea of a special committee, which would have been able…
Lithuanian footballers will not play against Russian teams, the Lithuanian Football Federation (LFF) stated, BNS reports. Earlier, the UEFA Executive Committee decided to readmit Russian youth teams to international competitions, while adult teams would remain disqualified until the end of the war in Ukraine. LFF president Edgaras Stankevicius said that the UEFA decision was “unexpected.”…
More prominent members of the opposition Estonian Centre Party (Keskerakond) have left the party after the election of Tallinn mayor Mihhail Kõlvart as the party’s new chairman, ERR reports. Former party board chair, Tallinn deputy mayor, and environment minister Tõnis Mölder and the party’s former defence spokesman, Neeme Väli, are the latest high-profile members to…
Latvia’s Ministry of Justice will propose banning vehicles registered in Russia and Belarus from staying in the country for more than three months, LSM reports. Under the proposed law, owners of Russian and Belarusian vehicles would have to re-register the vehicles in Latvia. Justice Minister Inese Libina-Egnere pointed out that keeping cars with Russian or…
