Uncategorized
History lessons as Poland and Germany mark start of Second World War
On 1 September, in 1939, without a declaration of war a German battleship opened fire on a Polish garrison. […]
Poland
Uncategorized
Zbigniew Brzezinski: Baltics will come next after Ukraine
Zbigniew Brzezinski, an influential Polish-American political analyst and former US presidential adviser under President Jimmy Carter, says that after Russia is done with Ukraine, it might turn its gaze towards the Baltic nations. […]
Uncategorized
Ukraine’s ambassador to Vilnius: EU should be on active side of “gas war”, not its victim
Ukraine will never accept the loss of Crimea. Valery Zhovtenko, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Ukraine to Lithuania, said in the exclusive interview to ELTA news agency that only negotiation measures would be used to solve the issue of Crimea. In case it fails, the issue should be taken to international court, whereas the option to use military force is not being considered. […]
Foreign affairs
Valdas Adamkus: The only person I had no luck with was Vladimir Putin
Former Lithuanian president Valdas Adamkus expresses his disappointment about the estranged relationship with Poland, and the demands of the Polish minority. He also shares insights and memories about his own personal relations with state leaders he worked with during his presidency, while appreciating a bold yet risky stance of Lithuania’s current leadership during the Russia–Ukraine conflict. […]
Politics
Energy Ministry to go to Labour Party after LLRA’s withdrawal from government
Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius says that after the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania (LLRA) party leaves the ruling coalition, the position of energy minister will be taken by the Labour Party. […]
Foreign affairs
Vilnius-Warsaw tensions only useful to the Kremlin, Polish media figure says
Adam Michnik, editor-in-chief of the Polish daily newspaper Gazeta Wyborcza, says that disputes between Lithuania and Poland are ridiculous in the context of the events in Ukraine, and that a disruption of Vilnius-Warsaw relations is useful only to Moscow. […]
Opinion
European Union
Calculations of Russia’s import embargo: EU set to lose EUR 5 billion per year
According to calculations carried out by the Netherlands-based ING Group, restrictions imposed by Russia on food imports from the European Union may cost the EU USD 6.7 billion (EUR 5.0 billion) per year, RBC Daily reports. […]
Energy
Poland and Lithuania apply for EU support to connect their gas transmission systems
On Tuesday, Poland‘s and Lithuania’s natural gas transmission systems operators GAZ-SYSTEM S.A. and AB Amber Grid submitted joint applications to the Innovation & Networks Executive Agency (INEA) for the co-financing of the project Gas Interconnection Poland-Lithuania (GIPL) from Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), Lithuania’s Ministry of Energy informs. […]
Energy
Winter and Gazprom won’t wait: What the geopolitics of LNG will mean for the people of Ukraine and Europe
As the crisis in Ukraine is escalating with the prospect of Russian military intervention, there is every reason to believe that Vladimir Putin will use other weapons at his disposal. Thus European nations are increasingly – and justifiably – worried about the impending winter months when Russia could ratchet up the pressure on Europe, as it has done in the past, by imposing another gas halt with the consequent loss of life and negative economic impacts. […]
European Union
Baltic countries and Poland still working on request to EU over ASF
The Baltic countries and Poland have not yet finalized their joint request to the European Commission for support in the fight against African Swine Fever (ASF), Lithuania’s chief veterinary officer, who is coordinating the drafting of the document, said on Thursday. […]
Foreign affairs
Lithuania calls on Russian government to distance itself from Zhirinovsky’s statements
Lithuania’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on Russia‘s government institutions to publicly distance themselves from statements made by member of the Duma Vladimir Zhirinovsky, who voiced threats against the Baltic States and Poland. […]
Uncategorized
Zhirinovsky’s statements about Baltic annihilation decoded
Recent statements by Vladimir Zhirinovsky, Vice Chairman of the Russian Duma, were meant to highlight that, from now on, Russia will be a key decision maker in European security matters. […]
Society
Uncategorized
Society
European Union
Baltic-Polish task group to submit ASF proposals to EC
Officials from the Baltic countries and Poland have agreed to establish a joint task group, which will submit proposals on measures to fight African swine fever (ASF) to the European Commission (EC). […]
Opinion
Opinion: Lithuania’s interests in the Arctic – a new niche
Although most of our eyes are glued to what’s happening in Ukraine (and, let’s face it, the World Cup in Brazil) for reasons apparent to everyone, the world is not limited to what Lithuania sees. The latest and most important political trends determining power, identity, rules and regional development exist way beyond Lithuania’s geopolitical boundaries. […]