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Ukraine
Opinion
Opinion: War as a chance for Ukraine to become a normal state
Ukraine’s social order, characterized by limited access, has been an obstacle in the country’s attempts to create democracy and market economy during its entire post-soviet history. Recent Russian military aggression changed the balance of power within the country and opened a window of opportunity for Ukraine to transform itself from a limited access to open access order. Whether Ukraine will use this opportunity depends on relationship between the president and oligarchs. […]
Foreign affairs
Uncategorized
Former Lithuanian PM invited to join Ukrainian president’s reform advisers team
Lithuania’s former prime minister Andrius Kubilius has been invited to join the council of foreign advisers set up by Ukraine‘s President Petro Poroshenko to help implement reforms in the country. […]
Nordic and Baltic officials call for fight against propaganda
On 23-24 March in Copenhagen, political directors of the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) discussed regional issues, challenges to Ukraine‘s security and territorial integrity, preparations for the upcoming Eastern Partnership Summit in Riga, prospects for relations with Russia, ways to increase resilience to propaganda of the societies, as well as threats of terrorism and the spread of radical Islamic ideology, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs said. […]
Global LT
Hon. Consul Prunskis speaks to Senator McCain
Lithuania’s Honorary Consul J. Prunskis met with US Senators John McCain and Mark Kirk, Consul General of Ukraine Andriy Pravednyk, Consul General of Lithuania Marijus Gudynas, and Ukranian leaders to discuss the current situation in Ukraine, Lithuania, and Eastern Europe. […]
Defence
Riflemen’s Union gets modern rifles
The Lithuanian Weaponry Fund on March 23 handed over weapons and bulletproof vests to the Lithuanian Riflemen’s Union. […]
European Union
Landsbergis’ report calls for open condemnation of Russia’s aggression in Ukraine
Lithuanian MEP Gabrielius Landsbergis has drawn up a draft report on EU-Russian relations, openly condemning Russia’s aggression in Ukraine, calling on the EU to put pressure on Russia more actively to make it comply with international commitments, and also taking measures against Russian propaganda and wish to divide Europe. […]
Opinion
Opinion: Will conscripts be trained for hybrid warfare?
What kind of war will Lithuania’s conscripts be preparing for? Hybrid conflicts that evolve into local mixed wars? People who talk about hybrid wars usually mean a phase of armed skirmishes with foreign army detachments with no discussion of how hybrid conflicts develop, how they impact on a conscript army and the challenges that army will face. […]
Ukraine’s Person of Year title is recognition for whole of Lithuania – Grybauskaitė
On March 21, during a solemn ceremony at the National Art Palace Ukraine in Kyiv, President Dalia Grybauskaitė was presented with Ukraine’s Person of the Year 2014 award. The title was bestowed on the president of Lithuania for her solid support to Ukraine’s independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and European aspirations, the presidential press service said. […]
Uncategorized
Russia and China boycott Lithuania-organized UN meeting on Crimea
Russia, China, Venezuela and Angola ignored the recent informal UN Security Council meeting, organized by Lithuania, on the human rights situation in Crimea which was annexed by Russia a year ago. […]
Uncategorized
EU ambassador to Moscow: “I’m not in the business of prophecies”
The task of a diplomat is to maintain contacts with the authorities and society leaders, so dribbling basketball with the administration chief of the Russian president, playing buskashi with Afghans in Kabul – engaging in what one might call “sport diplomacy” – is part of the job. While such informal contacts might provide a wealth of insights into the unofficial workings of a foreign country, Vygaudas Ušackas, the EU Delegation chief in Russia, admits he is not “in the business of prophecies” to tell how long the Russian-Ukrainian conflict can last. […]
European Union
EU to keep sanctions on Russia
European Union leaders have decided to maintain economic sanctions on Russia until the end of the year. […]
Uncategorized
Putin’s Russia: What did Nemtsov’s assassination reveal about the current regime?
Assassination of opposition leader Boris Nemtsov was a shocking wake-up call for many all over the globe. Circumstances were more than eloquent – bullets hit Nemtsov right in front of Kremlin and merely one day before the planned protest march. […]
Foreign affairs
Lithuania calls UN Security Council meeting on Crimea
The UN Security Council is holding a closed-door meeting on Crimea, initiated by Lithuania, later on Thursday. Russia, which annexed the Ukrainian region a year ago, is reportedly boycotting the meeting. […]
European Union
Energy, economy and information security to dominate European Council agenda
Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė has left for Brussels to attend a European Council meeting on 19-20 March, the presidential press service reports. […]
Politics
Gabrielius Landsbergis – rising conservative star powered by recognizable name and tough stance on Russia
When Gabrielius Landsbergis, 33, breathed his way last summer into the European Parliament, for many the success of his campaign seemed to have much to do with his family lineage – namely, his legendary grandfather, patriarch of Lithuania’s modern politics Vytautas Landsbergis. […]
Foreign affairs
Lithuania to set up defence adviser positions at embassies
The government on Wednesday okayed the amendments on the establishment of positions of defence adviser at Lithuanian embassies abroad. […]