Society
Russia
Opinion
Opinion: Reset with Belarus?
Conventional wisdom dictates vision before planning. It seems neither are present in the cautious, yet steady Western reset with Belarus, whose authoritarian leader Alexander Lukashenko recently secured his fifth term in elections widely considered to be flawed, argues Marius Laurinavičius, fellow at the Center for European Policy Analysis (CEPA). […]
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Russian band glorifying Crimean annexation plans tour in Lithuania
Lithuanian Minister of the Interior Saulius Skvernelis says Lithuania must follow the law and not emotions when considering whether to allow entry for the Academic Ensemble of Song and Dance of the Russian Army named after Alexander Alexandrov. […]
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Putin’s Russia. What is Kremlin actually capable of?
In the latest article of this series (“Putin’s Russia. Kremlin’s Goal No. 1”) I analysed the theory and practice of Russian foreign policy trying to ground the thesis that Kremlin’s main goal is to undermine the EU and NATO, and bring the world back to the times of international power balance. […]
Foreign affairs
Lithuanian political scientist: Russia is winning war against US
The world is back in the Cold War situation, when governments’ official line stresses the need to talk, while in fact they are engaging in proxy war, according to Laurynas Jonvičius, political scientist at the Institute of International Relations and Political Science of Vilnius University. […]
Energy
Foreign affairs
Russia’s actions in Syria only escalate conflict, Lithuanian foreign minister says
Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Linas Linkevičius took part in the European Union‘s (EU) Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels on 12 October, which focused on the situation in Syria and migration, Lithuania’s MFA said. […]
Defence
NATO air policing intercepted one Russian military aircraft last week
Between 5 and 11 October, NATO air policing fighter jets patrolling Baltic airspace identified and intercepted one IL-76 transport aircraft of the Russian Federation flying in international airspace above the Baltic Sea, the Ministry of National Defence of Lithuania reports. […]
Lithuanian foreign minister OK with EU lifting sanctions on Belarus
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius says he is in favour of the European Union lifting sanctions on Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. […]
Defence
Olekas: Deployment of UK troops to Baltics is reactions to Moscow’s actions, not vice versa
Lithuania’s Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas says that the UK‘s decision to send army units to the Baltic states and Poland is a reaction to Russia‘s actions in the region, therefore Moscow’s statements about reciprocal steps are misleading. […]
Defence
Girnius: With Russia in Syria, danger to Baltic states is gone
Kęstutis Girnius, associate professor at Vilnius University’s Institute of International Relations and Political Science, says Russia‘s intervention in Syria means that Moscow does not have any plans to attack Lithuania or other Baltic states. […]
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European Union
Lithuanian MEP appeals to EC saying Nord Stream 2 violates EU law
On Thursday, MEP Gabrielius Landsbergis addressed Maroš Šefčovič, Vice President of the European Commission in charge of the Energy Union, and Margrethe Vestager, European Commissioner for competition, saying that the planned Nord Stream 2 project contravenes primary energy security objectives of the European Union (EU) and the Third Energy Package. […]
British defence secretary wants to send a strong message to Russia about Baltic defence
NATO should step up pressure on Russia to use its influence on Syrian President Bashar al-Assad as well as to give a more resolute response to Moscow’s “testing” of the Alliance’s flank in the Baltics, UK Defence Secretary Michael Fallon has said in an interview to The Wall Street Journal published on Wednesday. […]
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Yalta invites US presidential candidate Donald Trump
The head of the Crimean resort city of Yalta, Andrey Rostenko, has invited US presidential front-runner Donald Trump to visit Crimea, the city’s press office said on Wednesday. […]
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Landsbergis lambastes NATO, Obama and Turkey for failing to deter Moscow
Vytautas Landsbergis, the patriarch of Lithuanian politics known for his tough anti-Russian stance, is uncompromisingly critical of how NATO countries have responded to Russia‘s recent incursions into Turkey‘s airspace. […]
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President Grybauskaitė: Kremlin does not understand language of diplomacy
There is no other European leader who is speaking to Russia in a stricter manner than Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė. Sometimes this irritates politicians who believe that relations with the Kremlin require more moderation, the Swish daily Neue Zuercher Zeitiung says. […]
Foreign affairs
Lithuanian president: Russia’s involvement in Syria will make refugee crisis worse
Russia‘s recent involvement in the war in Syria will only worsen the plight of refugees who are making their way to Europe in thousands, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė says. […]
Energy
Lithuanian PM: Russia demanding damages from Baltics for leaving BRELL only ‘interpretation’
Lithuania is moving from the post-Soviet to European electricity transmission system and Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius says claims that Russia and Belarus will incur damages as a result are nothing but “interpretations”. The prime minister says Lithuania is not considering paying compensations to Russia and Belarus under the so-called BRELL treaty. […]
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Russia’s actions in Syria lead to more chaos, Lithuanian president’s advisor says
Chief advisor to the Lithuanian president on foreign policy, Renaldas Vaisbrodas, says that Russia is not fighting ISIS in Syria, but is instead supporting President Bashar al-Assad‘s regime, which, he says, contradicts the goals of the international coalition fighting ISIS. […]