Juozas Olekas EN

With less than a month remaining to the Seimas elections and the Social Democrat Party remaining ahead in polls, DELFI speaks to several experts on how the current circumstances could be evaluated.

The Lithuanian parliament's biggest opposition group, Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats (conservatives), has collected signatures for initiation of the interpellation procedure against Social Democratic Minister of Defence Juozas Olekas.

Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats (conservatives), the largest opposition political group at the Lithuanian parliament, has collected signatures of 31 MPs in support of interpellation against Agriculture Minister Virginija Baltraitienė.

Lithuanian Defence Minister Juozas Olekas must step down because of the scandal over the army's overpriced purchases that discredits not only the national defence system, but also the state and the Social Democratic Party, President Dalia Grybauskaitė said on Tuesday.

Lithuania's Defence Minister Juozas Olekas has instructed the ministry's staff to check all acquisition contracts signed by the ministry this year and the ongoing tenders referred to in the Public Procurement Service's report.

Lithuania's opposition Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats (conservatives) plan to launch interpellation procedure against Defence Minister Juozas Olekas, a social democrat, over suspected fraud in the army's public procurement contracts.

Lithuania's defence minister, who signed a €386-million deal with a German company on purchasing 88 Boxer infantry vehicles, says the choice was as much about the quality of product as about buying it from a partner country.

Lithuania's Ministry of National Defence and the army are signing a deal with a German company on the purchase of Boxer armoured infantry vehicles.

Several hundreds of used military vehicles purchased from the Netherlands will add mobility and power to the Lithuanian Armed Forces, Defence Minister Juozas Olekas said on Thursday.

Lithuania is planning to contribute the first group of six military instructors to the US-led international operation Inherent Resolve in Iraq in early 2017, the Ministry of National Defence says. To read this article, try a €5.99 monthly subscription by clicking here.

Lithuania will for the first time participate in a meeting of ministers from countries that are part of the US-led coalition against Islamic State. To read this article, try a €5.99 monthly subscription by clicking here.

In August, three military ships with 800 Japanese soldiers will arrive in Lithuania as part of a friendly visit. To read this article, try a €5.99 monthly subscription by clicking here.

Lithuania plans to buy Javelin medium-range anti-tank weapon systems and missiles from the United States, a purchase worth approximately €7 million. To read this article, try a €5.99 monthly subscription by clicking here.

Lithuania would buy the NASAMS medium-range missile defence systems from the Norwegian government, not directly from the manufacturer Kongsberg, Lithuania's Defence Minister Juozas Olekas says. To read this article, try a €5.99 monthly subscription by clicking here.

During a press conference in Vilnius, Ben Hodges, the commanding general of the US Army in Europe, said that the US and other NATO countries were tired of responding to unexpected moves from Russia and that they would have to take the initiative.

The commander of the United States Forces Europe, Lieutenant General Ben Hodges, will attend a conference on NATO’s strength, defence and deterrence, in Vilnius on Monday ahead of the NATO Summit in Warsaw.

The Czech Republic plans to send a company-sized military unit to the Baltic States in 2017.

Lithuania's minister of national defence has confirmed that the country may send up to 30 military instructors to Iraq as part of a US-led mission to fight the Islamic State.