Lithuania is seeking continuous presence of US combat troops in the country, regardless of the outcome of the US presidential election, President Gitanas Nauseda stated, BNS reports. Speaking after visiting US troops at the Pabrade training area near Vilnius, Nauseda noted that the base would soon be able to accommodate about 1,000 US troops. At…
The Estonian government expects to raise around EUR 2.47bn of new tax revenue to finance increased defence spending by the end of 2028, the Ministry of Finance estimated, ERR reports. The new so-called broad security tax will consist of three components: increased VAT rate, rise in personal income tax, and a corporate profit tax. The…
Baltic leaders visited Ukraine for the fourth summit of the Crimea Platform and bilateral meetings with their Ukrainian counterparts, The Kyiv Independent reported. Estonian President Alar Karis, Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina, and Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis reiterated their calls to lift all restrictions on arming Ukraine, support for a just and lasting peace,…
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna urged Western countries to lift all restrictions on Ukraine’s use of Western weapons in the war with Russia, ERR reports. “Ukraine cannot fight with its hands tied behind its back and yet win this war,” he stated. Also, he called for caution over various “peace initiatives” to end the war,…
Estonia may need to raise its defence spending to 5% of GDP to implement NATO’s new defence plans, Defence Minister Hanno Pevkur stated, ERR reports. He said that Estonia clearly needed to acquire more capabilities, including air defence systems and equipment to deal with chemical and biological weapons. The money needed would amount to EUR…
The Lithuanian Armed Forces (LGP) have received MP7 A2 submachine guns from German arms manufacturer Heckler & Koch, according to the Ministry of Defence, Army Recognition reports. The contract, signed in October 2023, is valued at EUR 1.56mn over a period of 72 months. The ministry selected the weapons for their tactical and technical features,…
The Lithuanian government has approved a draft resolution to withdraw from the Convention on Cluster Munitions, allowing to acquire, stockpile, and use these weapons, BNS reports. The proposal from the Defence Ministry follows the US decision to supply cluster munitions to Ukraine and is based on the argument that these munitions are highly effective for…
Latvia will support Ukraine until total victory, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics vowed, LSM reported. Speaking at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky in Riga, Rinkevics called for shifting the strategic focus. “We have to support Ukraine until complete victory, not, like some say, as long as necessary,” he stated. Complete victory means…
Estonian President Alar Karis said that the main purpose of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky’s official visit to Estonia was to thank the people of Estonia for their unwavering support during the ongoing war, ERR reported. He called on democratic countries to do more for Ukraine to win and for Russia to lose. The outcome of…