Ukraine
Defence
Countries bordering Russia many need special NATO forces, Lithuanian defence official says
The Russian aggression in Ukraine has shown that countries bordering Russia may need special forces, says the Lithuanian Defence Ministry’s Political Director Vaidotas Urbelis. […]
Opinion
Opinion: Putin will not stop on his own
Vladimir Putin will not stop by himself, he needs to be stopped. And if he has no intention of stopping, there shouldn’t even be a mention of retreating. […]
Foreign affairs
Lithuania’s Linkevičius urges US administration to back weapons support to Ukraine
At a meeting in Washington with US president’s senior adviser for European affairs Charles Kupchan, Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius discussed the nearest Allied actions in response to the violations of Minsk accords and urged the US administration to support provision of weapons to Ukraine, the Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday. […]
Uncategorized
Russia’s neighbours concerned about Kremlin’s foreign policy, OSCE PA vice-president says
Vilija Aleknaitė-Abramikienė, Vice-President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE PA), says that the OSCE PA attitude towards Russia changed considerably during its winter session. […]
Uncategorized
British PM seconds warning that Baltic states could be Russia’s next target
Great Britain’s Prime Minister David Cameron has joined the warnings made by other high-ranking officials about the possibility of the Baltic states being the next Russian target after Ukraine in an effort to test NATO‘s strength. […]
John Kerry: Russia lying “to my face” about having troops in Ukraine
United States Secretary of State John Kerry on Tuesday accused Russian leaders of lying “to my face” about Moscow’s involvement in the conflict in Ukraine and denounced what he called Russia’s “propaganda”, AFP reports. […]
Uncategorized
Leonidas Donskis: We are witnessing historical birth of Ukrainian nation
Russia is threatening the Ukrainian state, but not the Ukrainian nation, which is being born in front of our eyes, says Lithuanian philosopher and former member of the European Parliament Leonidas Donskis. […]
Uncategorized
Lithuanian foreign minister: Ukraine truce is not working
The agreements on a truce in Ukraine are not working as separatists, supported by Russia, continue attacks in eastern Ukraine, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius said on Monday after discussing the existing situation with his Ukrainian counterpart. […]
Uncategorized
Mikheil Saakashvili urges the West to supply precision weapons to Ukraine
Former Georgian president Mikheil Saakashvili, who is visiting the US capital, spoke on Monday evening in the Lithuanian Embassy in Washington, DC. Mr. Saakashvili spoke at the invitation of the New International Leadership Institute during an event hosted by Ambassador Žygimantas Pavilionis. […]
Foreign affairs
President Grybauskaitė: Ukrainian people continue defending Maidan ideals
President Dalia Grybauskaitė visited Ukraine‘s capital Kiev on Sunday, 22 February. Alongside other European leaders she attended commemorative events for Maidan’s anniversary, including the March of Dignity in memory of Maidan victims that took place in the centre of Kiev, the presidential press service said. […]
Uncategorized
Terrorist act in Kharkiv “cowardly attack”, Lithuanian foreign minister says
Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius has condemned the terrorist attack carried out in Kharkiv on the Maidan anniversary, saying that the “cowardly attack” showed the world that violence is the only argument used by terrorists to defend their position. […]
European Union
Lithuanian and Ukrainian industrialists set up Ukraine’s business representation in EU
On 20 February, the Confederation of Lithuanian Industrialists (LPK) together with the Ukrainian Union of Industrialists and Entrepreneurs (USPP) signed an agreement, establishing a permanent representation of Ukrainian business in Brussels. […]
Uncategorized
Ukrainian ambassador: EU long believed Russia was developing democratically
The European Union has for many years believed that Russia was developing democratically, and even the Georgian war did not serve as a wakeup call, Ukrainian Ambassador to Lithuania Valery Zhovtenko says. […]
British parliament committee says UK and EU “sleep-walked” into Ukraine crisis
The United Kingdom and the European Union are guilty of a “catastrophic misreading” of the moods in the Kremlin prior to the crisis in Ukraine, which led to a failure to appreciate what was to come, a report by Britain’s parliamentary committee says. […]
Uncategorized
Moscow is getting ready for a hybrid war with Lithuania. Is the Polish minority going to be the flashpoint?
Another series of Russian provocations involving the Baltic states, related to the Ukraine war, makes so-called hybrid war scenario more and more realistic within the region of the Baltic Sea. The incidents that took place so far, such as the Internet existence of “People’s Republic of Vilnius” or the hooligan attacks on the Polish Embassy in Vilnius, seem to suggest that the Kremlin is going to use the Polish minority of Lithuania, along with the tough history of the Polish-Lithuanian relations, as the basis for its activities, aim of which would be to destabilize the region. […]
Uncategorized
Sending peacekeepers to Ukraine but a “theoretical” possibility, Lithuanian foreign minister says
The Ukrainian request to deploy peace-keepers in its Eastern districts might be given theoretical consideration, if the situation stabilizes, Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius says, adding that this would require a change in Russia‘s negative stance. […]
Defence
Europe must update its security strategy, Lithuanian defence minister says
The European security strategy does not reflect today’s realities and must be updated, says Lithuanian Defence Minister Juozas Olekas. […]
European Union
EU defence ministers understand threat from Russia, Lithuania’s Olekas says
Lithuanian Minister of National Defence Juozas Olekas says that defence ministers of the European Union countries perceive the threat of a hybrid armed conflict rising from the East and the need for the EU to be ready to repel this threat. […]
Defence
Lithuanian PM sceptical about British defence secretary’s warnings of Russian aggression
Lithuanian Prime Minister Algirdas Butkevičius says he does not believe that Moscow could use the same methods it used in Ukraine to destabilize situation in the Baltic states. His comments come after British Defence Secretary Michael Fallon warned about the danger that Russia might pose to Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia. […]