European Union
European Council to focus on European security issues
President Dalia Grybauskaitė has left for Brussels to attend an informal meeting of the European Council, the presidential press service said. […]
Ukraine
Uncategorized
Lithuanian foreign minister on Minsk talks: promises were broken before, why should this time be different
As four-way peace talks over the conflict in Ukraine have been ongoing in Minsk, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius believes the main task is to reach an agreement on the control of the international border between Ukraine and Russia. […]
Defence
Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian brigade might hold first exercises in autumn
The Lithuanian-Polish-Ukrainian joint military brigade, currently being established, might hold the first joint military exercises in the coming autumn, Polish Defence Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said in Vilnius on Wednesday. […]
Uncategorized
European Union
Mogherini stresses historic responsibility in talks on Ukraine
The European Union‘s (EU) foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini says that the French and German leaders attending the Minsk talks on peace in Ukraine on Wednesday will speak on the EU’s behalf, emphasizing the historic responsibility of the talks. […]
Uncategorized
Lithuanian parliament speaker not hopeful about Minsk peace talks
Lithuania’s Parliamentary Speaker Loreta Graužinienė says she does not have high hopes for the Minsk peace talks, which are starting on Wednesday and will focus on working out a solution for Russia‘s undeclared war on Ukraine. […]
Society
Seven Ukrainian kids to come to Lithuania to finish academic year
Seven Ukrainian children from the war-ridden areas of Luhansk and Donetsk accompanied by a teacher should come to Lithuania later in February to finish the academic year here, the Lithuanian government said in the cover letter of a resolution. […]
Uncategorized
Ukraine peace talks: What are the goals and the stakes?
While Ukraine‘s government forces are fighting pro-Russia separatists in the eastern Donbass region, Western leaders are engaging in a tense diplomacy game with Russian President Vladimir Putin. […]
Opinion
Opinion: Are Merkel and Obama indeed appeasing Russia?
For over a decade now we in Lithuania are being told that Germany is always indulging Russia. This line of criticism has lost some steam recently, after Angela Merkel played a crucial role in adopting hard sanctions on Russia. However, recent efforts by her and French President François Hollande to find a diplomatic solution to the Russia-Ukraine conflict have rekindled suspicions that there are plans to indulge Russia and betray Ukraine. […]
Uncategorized
Chancellor Merkel and President Obama discuss Ukrainian situation as fewer options remain to resolve crisis
German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited United States President Barack Obama in the White House on Monday. The visit, which had been planned for some time, saw both leaders discuss a wide array of trade and security issues. The recent developments in Ukraine, with Russia destabilizing the country, dominated a large part of the talks and the hour-long joint press conference that followed. The press conference was attended by Vice-President Joe Biden, Secretary of State John Kerry and UN Ambassador Susan Rice. […]
European Union
EU postpones new Russia sanctions at Ukraine’s request
The European Union on Monday postponed the implementation of new sanctions against representatives of the Russian government and separatists in response to Ukraine‘s request, Lithuanian Minister of Foreign Affairs Linas Linkevičius said. […]
Politics
Lithuania shares regional development and local governance experience with Ukrainian officials
Deputy Minister of Regional Development, Construction and Housing and Communal Services of Ukraine Roman Chuprynenko during his meeting with Lithuanian Deputy Interior Minister Julius Morkūnas was presented with Lithuania’s experience in the area of reforms of regional development and local governance, the Interior Ministry said. […]
Kremlin: No one will talk to Putin in ultimatums
Russian President Vladimir Putin will not be spoken to in the language of ultimatums at talks on the Ukraine crisis, a Russian radio station quoted the Kremlin as saying on Monday. […]
Uncategorized
Lithuanian foreign minister in Brussels: Supplying arms to Ukraine “logical step”
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Linas Linkevičius said after arrival at the meeting of European Union’s (EU) foreign ministers on Monday that the West would make a mistake by tiptoeing around Russia, saying that the possible US arms supply to Ukraine would be a sensible step. […]
Uncategorized
Lithuanian president says she trusts Merkel and rejects fears of “second Munich”
Amid fears by some politicians of a new “Munich Agreement” in talks on the situation in eastern Ukraine, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė has said that she trusts that German Chancellor Angela Merkel will not betray Ukraine or Lithuania. […]
Uncategorized
Lithuanian president in Munich: To betray Ukraine would mean to betray ourselves
To betray Ukraine would mean “to betray ourselves”, Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė said during a presidential debate at the Munich Security Conference on Saturday. […]
Uncategorized
EU Ambassador Ušackas warns: confrontation with Russia may lead to “deeper military dispute”
The confrontation between the Western world and Russia may lead to “bigger and deeper military dispute,” the European Union‘s (EU) Ambassador in Moscow Vygaudas Ušackas of Lithuania has said. […]
John Kerry in Kiev: Russian aggression cannot be ignored
US Secretary of State John Kerry, who is visiting Kiev on Thursday, has said that Russian aggression in Ukraine cannot be ignored, Euronews reports. […]
Foreign affairs
Lithuanian military aircraft to take humanitarian aid to Ukraine
On 5 February, the Spartan C-27 aircraft of the Lithuanian Air Force will transport to Ukraine donations of humanitarian aid committed by the Lithuanian Ministries of Healthcare and National Defence. […]