Russia

Vytautas Landsbergis
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Vytautas Landsbergis’ wish for the Lithuanian government – less blood, more wisdom

January 4, 2019 Edmundas Jakilaitis 0

“I hope that things will not be all bad in Lithuania, that we will avoid various collapses, violent actions, against the opposition for example. We are constantly beset by various scandals involving the government, the cabinet. While performing investigations on prior cabinets, it is time to prepare for investigations on this cabinet’s work and mistakes, which may or may not be malicious. There are things to investigate,” professor Vytautas Landsbergis says. On the starting year and what to expect in both domestic and foreign policy, a discussion on Delfi’s Dėmesio Centre with politician Vytautas Landsbergis. […]

Vytautas Sinica
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Vytautas Sinica. Euro federalism is eroding the European Union

December 22, 2018 Vytautas Sinica 0

Compared to Lithuania, no other state better understood the fact that membership in the EU and NATO – especially NATO – was (and still is) essential to the country’s long-term survival and the assurance of national interests. It was this goal of achieving the membership that motivated and led Lithuania forward during its first decade of independence. Lithuania always associated NATO with safety and EU with welfare and benefits – and, sadly, better governance as well. […]

Saulius Skvernelis
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What is S. Skvernelis seeking with his behaviour?

December 18, 2018 Media Briefing 0

What do Saulius Skvernelis‘ unusual actions – reaction to teachers‘ strikes, dismissing ministers, talks about coups and contacting the special services regarding the Kremlin‘s hand among politicians – say about his goals? According to some experts, this is a well thought out strategy, however others see it as only failure to maintain calm, lrt.lt writes. […]

Ramūnas Bogdanas
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Ramūnas Bogdanas. Skvernelis’ godfather Paksas visits Putin

December 18, 2018 Ramunas Bogdanas 0

When the Order and Justice party negotiated with the then still whole Social Democrats to join the latter’s’ coalition, the usual division of posts proceeded. Order and Justice received the post of minister of the interior. It turned out that among them, they lacked a politician capable of handling this difficult office; after all, this minister handles both public order matters, the police and municipalities. […]

Saulius Skvernelis
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If Skvernelis is seeking to rally his electorate, he chose the wrong opponents

December 17, 2018 Media Briefing 0

The striking teachers are awaiting Prime Minister Saulius Skvernelis’ apology, but he does not appear intent to do so. The team assembled by the PM, which is preparing a long-term public sector wage payment project features neither striking, nor non-striking teachers. The trade union confederation chairwoman stated that the goal is the lowest earning civil servants, but teachers were not mentioned among them, lrt.lt writes. […]

No Picture
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The future of Europe after Brexit: Lithuania and Germany?

December 14, 2018 Zygimantas Pavilionis 0

Next week, on 17 December 2018, the Presidential Palace will host an important international conference on the relations between Germany and Lithuania. The participants include the Lithuanian German Forum, functioning for thirteen years now and currently headed by Gabrielė Gylytė-Hein, representatives from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Vytautas Magnus University, and the Vilnius Institute for Policy Analysis. Jointly, they will strive to define the strategic guidelines for the Lithuanian-German relations at a conference broadcast live via the Delfi TV. The event will also be attended by influential European foreign policy makers and a large number of entrepreneurs, academics and cultural representatives. […]

Presidential candidates' debate
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Presidential candidate discussion features pointed remarks: you want to open a gate to the East

December 14, 2018 Aleksandra Ketleriene 0

The Eastern Europe Studies Centre organised its fourth Stasys Lozoraitis Annual Lithuanian Foreign Policy Conference, which featured a debate between potential presidential candidates on Lithuania’s position with the European Union resolving fundamental political challenges. The discussion had no lack of laughter and pointed remarks exchanged. […]

Rimvydas Valatka
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Rimvydas Valatka. Seimas Kirkutis stories: will Skvernelis end as Musolini did?

December 12, 2018 Rimvydas Valatka 0

The prime minister and his leaser Head of All of Lithuania’s hysteria is spreading to regular Seimas “Farmers”. Take Algimantas Kirkutis being so fascinated with Saulius Skvernelis’ rhetoric that after the latter’s speech in Seimas, he went ahead and compared the prime minister with Italian fascist leader Benito Mussolini. […]

Arvydas Juozaitis
Foreign affairs

Alternative for Germany building connections in Lithuania

December 5, 2018 Media Briefing 0

Having gained popularity in Germany, the far right party is seeking supporters in Lithuania as well. At the invitation of presidential candidate Arvydas Juozaitis, three MPs from the anti-immigration and recognising the Crimean annexation Alternative for Germany, have arrived in Lithuania. A. Juozaitis says that their view match over immigration and the European Union, but not Russia. Political scientist Tomas Janeliūnas notes that isolated by traditional parties in Germany, the AfD is seeking international recognition, lrt.lt writes. […]

Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin
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Do we conduct our foreign policy in line with the US or with Putin’s Russia?

December 3, 2018 Audronius Azubalis and Laurynas Kasciunas 0

Last week’s news that, for the past two years, the Government led by Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius has been covertly negotiating a draft Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration at the United Nations caused quite a stir in Lithuania. The turmoil following the revelation of this fact has not subsided yet. Interestingly, none of the Seimas committees in charge of foreign policy and national security have been informed about the negotiations. The reason behind this was obvious. Both publically and behind closed doors at a meeting of the Seimas Committee on Foreign Affairs, government members failed to provide answers to some of the essential questions: why do we have to approve this questionable agreement and who has decided that Lithuania supports it? […]

Ramūnas Bogdanas
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R. Bogdanas. Klaipėda and aggression on the Kerch straits

December 3, 2018 Ramunas Bogdanas 0

To sit down with the US president and split the world – this is V. Putin’s great dream. A 20 minute long talk was to be held between the two leaders in Buenos Aires during a G-20 meeting and after – two hour negotiations including delegations. All that remains of this is one question that D. Trump posed to V. Putin as he was walking. This question was not about Syria, not about intermediate distance rockets. It was about the attack on Ukrainians on Kerch straits. […]

Foreign affairs

Seimas committees condemn Russian aggression against Ukraine

November 28, 2018 EN.DELFI 0

The Committee on Foreign Affairs and the Committee on National Security and Defence of the Seimas of the Republic of Lithuania have released a joint statement condemning Russian actions against Ukrainian Navy ships on 25 November, 2018. […]

Angela Merkel
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A few remarks on the legacy of Angela Merkel

November 8, 2018 Andrius Kubilius 0

This week has started with a seemingly surprising piece of news. Following a fairly unsuccessful election in the federal state of Hessen for her Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU), German Chancellor Angela Merkel announced […]