On 29 March 2004, Lithuania became a full member of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). The road to this goal was rough but the country took on the implementation of the necessary reforms and acted with determination to assure its presence in the Alliance. Why is the NATO membership viewe...
Security
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In recent years, the ongoing war in Ukraine has sparked numerous discussions about our defence and security. The security of Lithuania has always been a concern, and young people, driven by civic ambition, are stepping up to take action. Two of them have agreed to share their experiences of voluntar...
Curfew was declared in two areas of Vilnius and an area of Kaunas on Tuesday night so that military exercises could proceed.
On Monday in Lithuania, President Gitanas Nausėda met with German Chancellor Olaf Scholz. The head of state stressed that permanent deployment of a German brigade is Lithuania’s priority in the defence area.
Lithuania is considering a raise of the corporate income tax rate to boost defence funding, but this would not be the best possible solution as it might affect Lithuania’s investment climate, argues economist Rimantas Rudzkis.
President’s chief national security adviser Kęstutis Budrys says Lithuania is ready to help Ukraine repatriate military age men if Kyiv deems this needed. Yet he thinks that a regional decision would work best.
President Gitanas Nausėda says the Cabinet should cooperate more with local authorities in setting up civilian shelters in municipalities. The Government is working on civil protection “as slow as a turtle”, Nausėda told a presidential debate on Monday.
Lithuania’s former president Dalia Grybauskaitė believes that the 2024 US presidential election will be a challenge for the European Union.
On Friday, President Gitanas Nausėda met with President of Poland Andrzej Duda. Poland recently stated that it is ready to host NATO nuclear weapons. The Lithuanian head of state believes that NATO’s decision to deploy nuclear weapons in Poland would contribute to deterrence and reflect European sec...
Polish President Andrzej Duda says the Suwalki Gap, dubbed the most dangerous place on earth by some foreign leaders, cannot be seen in the same way as Ukraine and the Gaza Strip though threats remain in the region. The continuous effort to develop collective defence is essential, he said.
Minister of National Defence Laurynas Kasčiūnas admits that Lithuania may consider how Ukraine could return conscription age men who had left the country amid the largescale invasion by Russia. Lithuania is not yet taking any concrete measures and is observing decisions adopted in Poland.
Parliament Speaker Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen believes that the Seimas did the right thing by rejecting a proposal of the Committee on National Security and Defence to limit Belarusian citizens’ journeys to their home country.
Minister of National Defence Laurynas Kasčiūnas suggests reviewing Lithuania’s defence procurement priorities and acquiring more air defence systems now, whereas the planned tank battalion could be formed in stages by 2035.
President Gitanas Nausėda would support a tax hike in order to increase defence spending provided that taxation would be progressive, says his chief adviser Frederikas Jansonas. He reiterated that the head of state opposes a raise of the value added tax (VAT) as it would disproportionately affect th...
On Monday, Minister of Foreign Affairs Gabrielius Landsbergis is attending the European Union’s Foreign Affairs Council in Luxembourg. EU foreign and defence ministers will discuss Russia’s aggression against Ukraine, following an informal exchange of views with Ukraine’s Minister of Foreign Affairs...
The State Border Guard Service (VSAT) is proposing to restrict the access of residents to parts of the external border with Russia.
Traffic at Medininkai border post was renewed between Belarus and Lithuania on Thursday afternoon. It had been interrupted when a car caught fire and burned down a hangar on the Lithuanian side at night.
President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda urges the government to adopt decisions on sustainable sources of funding for defence soon.
Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė welcomes Defence Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas’ proposal to enhance Lithuania’s air defence capabilities, while at the same time a tank company instead of a tank battalion would be established.
The Intelligence Ombudsman’s Office intends to look into how intelligence authorities collect and verify information related to the 2024 elections.