LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Leedu välisminister esitas seaduseelnõu riiklike majandussanktsioonide kehtestamiseks Venemaale ja Valgevenele
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Monday, May 26, 2025
- Lithuania turns away 11 irregular migrant on border with Belarus
- EU migration chief to visit Lithuania to see how border with Belarus is being secured
- Lithuanian FM calls Russian attack on Ukraine 'a message of impunity'
- Lithuanian military officer dies in Italy
- Three more Lithuanians summit Mount Everest
- Lithuania seeks EUR 200 mln euros in damages in migrant case against Minsk
- Prosecutor wants public office ban for ex-Lithuanian MP in 'receipt' case
- NATO jets in Baltics scrambled 7 times last week to escort Russian planes
- Lithuanian master athletes refuse to share podium with Russians in Taipei (media)
- Lithuania plans to recall ambassadors to US, Spain, Egypt, Turkey
- We need to start thinking about upgrading border equipment – Lithuanian intermin
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, May 27, 2025
Leedu välisminister esitas seaduseelnõu riiklike majandussanktsioonide kehtestamiseks Venemaale ja Valgevenele
VILNIUS, 14. mai, BNS – Leedu Välisministeerium registreeris kolmapäeval muudatused, mis võimaldaksid kehtestada Venemaa ja Valgevene suhtes riiklikke majandussanktsioone.
Leedu astub selle sammu juhuks, kui Euroopa suvel oma sanktsioone ei pikenda.
Vilnius soovib, et teised Venemaa ja Valgevenega piirnevad EL-i liikmesriigid järgiksid seda eeskuju, et nende riikide kaup ei saaks maismaa kaudu ELi siseneda, mis tõstaks Venemaa ja Valgevene kaubanduskulusid.
ELi sanktsioone pikendatakse ühisel kokkuleppel, kuid seekord kardetakse võimalikku Ungari veto.
Leedu Seimas pikendas hiljuti riiklikke sanktsioone, mis on suunatud peamiselt Venemaa ja Valgevene kodanikele. Parlamendiarutelul nende sanktsioonide üle soovitas välisministeerium, et Seimi liige või parlamendirühm registreeriks sektoripõhiseid sanktsioone puudutavad muudatused, kuid seda ei tehtud.
Välisminister Kęstutis Budrys ütles varem BNS-ile, et sellest ideest loobuti, kuna mõned parlamendiliikmed soovisid teemat põhjalikumalt arutada.
Kaks tüüpi majandussanktsioone
Välisministeeriumi eelnõu kohaselt saaks valitsus kehtestada kahte tüüpi sanktsioone: vara külmutamine ja sektoripõhised piirangud. Mõlemal juhul määrab valitsus sanktsioneeritud isikute ja ettevõtete loetelu.
Seaduseelnõu kohaselt külmutataks nende füüsiliste või juriidiliste isikute vara, kes otseselt või kaudselt toetavad Kremli sõda Ukraina vastu, tegutsevad Ukraina territoriaalse terviklikkuse vastu, õõnestavad Ukraina stabiilsust või viivad läbi hübriidseid tegevusi, sh koordineeritud info manipuleerimine ja infoskeemide häirimine, mis kahjustab Leedu iseseisvust.
Külmutataks ka nende Venemaa ja Valgevene füüsiliste või juriidiliste isikute vara, kes toetavad inimõiguste rikkumisi, kodanikuühiskonna ja demokraatliku opositsiooni mahasurumist Venemaal ja Valgevenes.
Vara külmutamisele võiks kehtida erandid. Näiteks juhul, kui külmutatud vahendeid on vaja „põhilisteks vajadusteks“, sealhulgas makseteks toidu, kommunaalteenuste, üüri või eluasemelaenu, ravimite, arstiabi, maksude või kindlustusmaksete eest.
Sektoripõhiste sanktsioonide hulka kuulub kõigi nende kaupade, tehnoloogia, teenuste ja tarkvara müügi, tarnimise, edasiandmise või ekspordi keelamine Leedust Venemaale või Valgevenesse, mis võiksid toetada nende riikide kaitse- ja julgeolekusektorit, kasvatada nende tööstusvõimsust või kahjustada Leedut.
Samuti keelataks otse või kaudselt omandada, importida või Leetu tuua selliseid kaupu, tehnoloogiaid, teenuseid ja tarkvara, mis pärinevad nendest riikidest ja toovad märkimisväärset tulu Venemaale või Valgevenele.
Erandeid võib teha, kui teenused on vajalikud näiteks meditsiini-, farmatseutilistel või humanitaarsetel eesmärkidel, samuti tsiviiltuumajaamade käitamiseks või hooldamiseks.
Võimalikud täiendavad piirangud
Seaduseelnõu kohaselt võib valitsus kehtestada lisapiiranguid Venemaa ja Valgevene kaitse-, energia-, transpordi-, finants-, infotehnoloogia- ning telekommunikatsiooni- ja muudele sektoritele.
Seda võiks teha juhul, kui leitakse, et vastavat sektorit võidakse kasutada Kremli sõja või Venemaa ja Valgevene relvajõudude, kaitsesektori toetamiseks, tööstusvõimsuse tõstmiseks või Leedu julgeoleku õõnestamiseks.
Kui Seimas muudatused heaks kiidab ja EL oma piiranguid ei pikenda, jõustuvad eelnõus toodud muudatused augustis.
President Gitanas Nausėda on öelnud, et Leedu on valmis kehtestama Venemaale riiklikke majandussanktsioone, kui EL oma piiranguid ei pikenda, kuid lisas samas, et Euroopa ühtsed sanktsioonid on palju tõhusamad.
Peaminister Gintautas Paluckas leiab omalt poolt, et riiklikud sanktsioonid oleksid mõttekad vaid siis, kui seda teeksid ka teised regiooni riigid.
EL on 2022. aasta 24. veebruarist, mil Moskva alustas täiemahulist sissetungi Ukrainasse, kehtestanud Venemaa suhtes juba 17 sanktsioonipaketti. Sanktsioonid puudutavad nii konkreetseid isikuid kui ka Kremli majandussektoreid ja ettevõtteid.
Autor: Augustas Stankevičius
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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Monday, May 26, 2025
VILNIUS, May 26, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Monday, May 26, 2025:
EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner to visit Lithuania.
INTERIOR MINISTER Vladislav Kondratovic to meet with Brunner at 3 p.m.
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Lithuania turns away 11 irregular migrant on border with Belarus
VILNIUS, May 26, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have turned away eleven migrant attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally over the past 24 hours, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Monday morning.
Latvia reported 106 illegal border crossing attempts on Sunday. Poland denied entry to 235 irregular migrants on Saturday, according to the latest available information.
Lithuania has barred 745 irregular migrants from entering from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year. It denied entry to 1,002 irregular migrants in 2024.
The influx of irregular migrants into the EU's eastern member states from Belarus began in 2021 and is blamed by the West on the Minsk regime.
Lithuanian border guards have blocked around 23,600 attempts by foreign nationals to cross into the country illegally from Belarus since the start of the migration crisis.
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EU migration chief to visit Lithuania to see how border with Belarus is being secured
VILNIUS, May 26, BNS – European Commissioner for Home Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner is visiting Vilnius on Monday.
Brunner told BNS ahead of his visit that he would travel to the Padvarionys border crossing "to better understand the challenges that Lithuania faces."
"I am looking forward to meeting the Lithuanian authorities that work tirelessly to protect our common borders," the commissioner told BNS in a comment. "They are at the frontline to defend our common European border. We cannot and will not allow hostile actors to turn our values against us."
"Security is (...) the starting point from which all our freedoms derive: prosperity, democracy and the rule of law. And it is more important than ever that we stand united as Europeans," he added. "Security is a European responsibility, and we must work across borders and across all dimensions of our policies to strengthen it."
According to the Interior Ministry, Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic will accompany Brunner on his visit to the Lithuanian border with Belarus.
"We plan to continue strengthening the readiness of our border guards and to invest in modern technologies so that officers of the State Border Guard Service have all the necessary tools they need to effectively monitor the border and ensure its security," the minister said in a press release.
"We are grateful to the European Commission for the support it has provided so far in response to the Belarusian regime's hybrid attacks," he added.
The ministry said Lithuania's border with Belarus is protected through three integrated elements: a physical barrier, modern surveillance systems and tactical response algorithms.
The entire external border is monitored using advanced technology, and 90 percent of border guards are equipped with firearms that meet NATO standards.
Lithuania began significantly reinforcing its borders with Belarus and Russia in response to a surge in irregular migration in 2021 and Russia's invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Last week, Lithuania filed a case against Belarus with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over alleged breaches of the neighboring country's obligations under the UN Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air.
Lithuanian border guards have blocked 23,600 attempts by foreign nationals to cross into the country illegally from Belarus since the start of the migration crisis, according to the State Border Guard Service.
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Lithuanian FM calls Russian attack on Ukraine 'a message of impunity'
VILNIUS, May 26, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys on Sunday condemned Russia's massive drone strike on Ukraine, calling it "a message of impunity" to the world.
"Russia's overnight assault on Ukraine was a show of sheer brutality – over 360 Shahed drones, 69 missiles and innocent lives lost. This wasn't just an attack. It was a message of impunity," Budrys posted on X.
"Our response must be stronger than Russian aggression: more military support and weapons to Ukraine, harsher sanctions and isolation of Russia," Lithuania's top diplomat wrote.
"Appeasement isn't a path towards peace - it's a permission to continue the aggression," he added.
At least 12 people, including three children, were killed in Russia's overnight strikes on Ukraine.
Ukraine's emergency services said Russia shelled the country for a second straight night, including the capital Kyiv.
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Lithuanian military officer dies in Italy
VILNIUS, May 26, BNS – A Lithuanian military officer has died in Italy, the Armed Forces said on Saturday.
"On May 23, a Lithuanian Armed Forces officer serving in Italy died at the age of 51," the military said in a statement.
The officer's family has been informed of his death, and an investigation has been launched to determine the circumstances of the incident.
"The Lithuanian Armed Forces leadership extends its sincere condolences to the officer's family and comrades," the statement said.
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Three more Lithuanians summit Mount Everest
VILNIUS, May 26, BNS – Three more Lithuanians, including well-known traveler Aurimas Valujavicius, have reached the summit of Mount Everest, the world's highest peak.
"Against the odds and every challenge the mountain threw at them, this team pushed through with focus, grit, and unwavering determination. Today, they stand at the summit. Proof that hard work and teamwork pay off," local Sherpa company Climbalaya posted on Facebook on Saturday.
Valujavicius, Justas Narkevicius, Nerijus Pranckevicius, Anna Barbara Samolej and Hristina Zhorova Yosifova reached the summit from the mountain's northern side, according to the post.
Valujavicius confirmed the news on Saturday evening, Lithuanian time.
"I think I also became the youngest Lithuanian to climb Everest – not that I'm all that young at thirty. But getting to the top is only half the battle. Eighty percent of accidents happen on the way down, so you can't lose your head just because you've made it. The summit gets celebrated at the bottom," he wrote on Facebook.
He described the climb as "an absolute hell of a challenge."
In 2023, Valujavicius rowed solo across the Atlantic Ocean in a rowing boat.
Mindaugas Satkauskas, a Vilnius-based businessman, summited Everest on May 22, 2024. At the time, he was reported to be the seventh Lithuanian to climb the world's highest mountain.
Mount Everest, located in the Himalayas, rises to 8,848 meters above sea level, making it the highest point on Earth
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Lithuania seeks EUR 200 mln euros in damages in migrant case against Minsk
VILNIUS, May 26, BNS – Lithuania is seeking over 200 million euros in damages from Belarus in a case filed with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over the migrant crisis allegedly orchestrated by the Minsk regime, the Justice Ministry has told BNS.
According to the ministry, the case may also have implications for ongoing lawsuits brought by migrants against Lithuania at the European Court of Human Rights (ECHR).
"The Republic of Lithuania's lawsuit states that the state will claim reparations, and (...) initial estimates put the damage at over 200 million euros – costs incurred by the interior affairs system alone in containing the crisis. The estimates are subject to adjustment," the ministry told BNS in a comment last week.
"The Republic of Lithuania's lawsuit states that the state will claim reparations, and (...) initial estimates put the damage at over 200 million euros – costs incurred by the interior system alone in containing the crisis. The estimates are subject to adjustment," the ministry told BNS in a comment last week.
In its lawsuit before the Hague-based court, Vilnius claims that the damage incurred between 2021 and 2023 stemmed from Belarus' actions that forced Lithuania to invest in building a physical border barrier, upgrading surveillance systems and deploying more border personnel "than ever before."
According to the ministry, the ICJ handles disputes between states and rules on matters of state responsibility for violations of international law. Its rulings primarily aim to protect the legitimate interests of the state concerned and award compensation for damages.
However, the ministry added, the ICJ proceedings are not entirely separate from other legal processes and could affect how the subject matter is assessed in ECHR cases against Lithuania.
"They could impact other proceedings or even carry prejudicial weight in cases involving questions of state responsibility, such as evaluating the causal link between specific events and their consequences," the ministry said.
A prejudicial link means that facts established or legal interpretations made in one case could carry legal weight in another.
According to the ministry, seven cases concerning migrant rights are currently pending against Lithuania at the ECHR.
In response to the migrant influx, Lithuania began turning away irregular migrants in the summer of 2021, ordering them to return to Belarus – a practice that remains in place.
Poland mulls joining ICJ action
Lithuania's Foreign Ministry says Vilnius has collected evidence that confirms Minsk's direct involvement in orchestrating the migrant crisis, including an increase in flights from the Middle East and other regions arranged by Belarusian state-owned companies, as well as organized visa issuance and accommodation for arriving migrants.
Poland is considering joining Lithuania's lawsuit, according to Euroradio, an independent Belarus-focused news outlet that cited the Polish Foreign Ministry.
Reportedly, the Polish ministry said it had been aware of Lithuania's plans to bring a case against Belarus and "agrees with Lithuania's assessment of Belarus' gross violation of international law."
"The Polish Foreign Ministry is carefully considering Lithuania's proposal regarding our country's possible participation in the proceedings," the outlet quoted the ministry as saying.
Meanwhile, the leaders of nine European Union countries, including Lithuania, have published an open letter calling for "a new and open-minded conversation about the interpretation of the European Convention on Human Rights," particularly in terms of migration.
All 46 signatories of the Convention, including all 27 EU member states, are bound by its provisions. The ECHR bases its legally binding rulings on the treaty.
The leaders argue that states must be able to take effective measures against hostile regimes that weaponize migrants at their borders.
"We believe that the development of the court's interpretation has, in some cases, limited our ability to make political decisions in our democracies," they said.
The influx of irregular migrants into the EU's eastern member states – Lithuania, Latvia and Poland – from Belarus began in 2021 and is blamed by the West on the Minsk regime. Lithuanian border guards have blocked around 23,600 attempts by foreign nationals to cross into the country illegally from Belarus since the start of the migration crisis.
Human rights organizations have criticized Lithuania’s 2023 decision to legalize pushbacks at the border and restrict the ability to claim asylum there, saying the practice violates international law.
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Prosecutor wants public office ban for ex-Lithuanian MP in 'receipt' case
KAUNAS, Lithuania, May 26, BNS – A prosecutor is asking a Lithuanian court to ban a former lawmaker and Marijampole councilor from holding a public office for three years and fine him 7,500 euros as the politician is standing trial in a so-called "receipt" case.
During its closing statement on Monday, prosecutor Valentinas Alekna asked the Kaunas Regional Court to ban Andrius Vysniauskas from holding any public office for three years. He also asked the court to confiscate 2,190 euros, the amount Vysniauskas allegedly unlawfully received.
Vysniauskas is accused of abuse of office, fraud and the falsification of 19 councilor's expense reports, thus obtaining 2,190 euros the local authorities in Marijampole to cover his expenses.
The offenses in question were committed between April 2019 and November 2020.
According to the prosecution service, Vysniauskas allegedly unlawfully received compensation phones and other communication equipment and fuel purchased for personal use, amounting to more than 700 and 1,300 euros respectively. Vysniauskas was also unjustifiably reimbursed almost 140 euros for car parking.
Vysniauskas denies any wrongdoing and claims he used the money allocated for the activities of a local councilor for the intended purpose.
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NATO jets in Baltics scrambled 7 times last week to escort Russian planes
VILNIUS, May 26, BNS – NATO fighter jets were scrambled seven times last week to identify and escort Russian planes violating flight rules in international airspace over the Baltic Sea, Lithuania's Defense Ministry said on Monday.
On May 19, NATO jets took off to identify an AN-26 as it was flying in international airspace from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad without a flight plan, with its onboard transponders off and was maintaining radio contact with the regional flight control center.
On May 20, NATO jets were scrambled to identify a SU-30 fighter jet and a SU-24M attack plane. It took off in the Kaliningrad region and then returned back. Both plane were flying with their onboard transponder off, without flight plans and were not maintaining radio contact with the regional flight control center.
On May 22, NATO jets were scrambled to identify a SU-2 bomber after it took off in Kaliningrad and returned back. Its onboard transponder was off, it had no flight plan and was not maintaining radio contact with the regional flight control center.
On May 23, NATO jets were scrambled to intercept two SU-30 fighter jets flying in international airspace from mainland Russia to the Kaliningrad region. The two aircraft were flying with thir rd transponders on, without flight plans and were maintaining radio contact with the regional flight control center.
On May 23, NATO jets were scrambled to intercept a Russian reconnaissance plane IL-20 as it was flying from mainland Russia to Kaliningrad with its onboard transponder on, without a flight plan and was maintaining radio contact with the regional flight control center.
On May 25, NATO jets were scrambled to identify two SU24M attack planes after they took off in Kaliningrad and returned back. They were flying with their onboard transponder off, without flight plans and were not maintaining radio contact with the regional flight control center.
The NATO Baltic Air Policing mission is carried out from Lithuania and Estonia.
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Lithuanian master athletes refuse to share podium with Russians in Taipei (media)
VILNIUS, May 26, BNS - Lithuanian sports masters have refused to share the awards podium with Russian representatives at the 2025 Summer World Masters Games in Taiwan, the 15min.lt news website reports on Monday.
Around 25,000 sports masters are taking part in the games in Taipei, taking place on May 17 though 30, and Russian representatives have also been allowed to take part in them.
"Our unfriendly neighbors, the Russians, were also present, and they competed under their flag. We had to compete against them in the same relay event. We decided not to share the podium with them, we chose to come separately and to be awarded separately," swimmer Lina Beliniene told the website, adding that the Russian representatives wanted to take photos together but the Lithuanian athletes refused.
Russian teams have been excluded from most international competitions in various sports since the Kremlin's large-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
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Lithuania plans to recall ambassadors to US, Spain, Egypt, Turkey
VILNIUS, May 26, BNS – Lithuania plans to recall its ambassadors in Washington, Madrid, Cairo and Ankara from the middle of July.
Under a draft government resolution, Audra Plepyte would finish her work in the US on July 14.
As of 22 August, Lyra Puisyte-Bostroem will be recalled from her position as Lithuanian ambassador to Spain, and Arturas Gailiunas will be recalled from Egypt.
Ricardas Degutis, Lithuania's ambassador to Turkey, will leave his office on August 25.
As BNS reported earlier, Lithuanian ambassadors to Estonia and South Korea will also leave their posts in the summer. Lithuanian Ambassador To Estonia Raimonda Murmokaite will be recalled from July 17, and the country's Ambassador to the Republic of Korea Ricardas Slepavicius will be recalled from July 31.
These diplomats will be recalled as their terms of office expire. The moves still need the government and the president's approval.
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We need to start thinking about upgrading border equipment – Lithuanian intermin
Padvarionys Frontier Station, Lithuania, May 26, BNS – Lithuania should already start thinking about upgrading its technical equipment at the border with Belarus and Russia, Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic says.
"We see that we really need to invest in equipment, including surveillance equipment. Unfortunately, the systems have a tendency to age over time. We need to start preparing today to upgrade all the systems," the minister told reporters on Monday during a visit to the Lithuanian-Belarusian border with visiting European Commissioner for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner.
Access roads leading to the border must also be built, he said.
"As we can see, rapid response helps to protect our border in time and to deter illegal migrants, who are being used as weapons against our country, from wanting to cross our border," the minister said, adding that the raining of officers should not be forgotten as well.
Kondratovic hopes that the European Union would provide funds for border protection. "If there is a possibility to finance these projects, it would be a good thing," he said.
The minister called on the European Commission to take into account the financial needs of frontline EU countries such as Lithuania during the negotiations on the bloc's next multiannual budget, in terms of strengthening external border security and critical infrastructure.
In his words, Lithuania finds it particularly important for sufficient funds to be allocated for the smooth and safe implementation of the Special Kaliningrad Transit Program as the transit of Russian citizens through the territory of Lithuania poses serious security challenges in the current geopolitical situation.
For his part, Brunner said he would discuss EU support possibilities with the Lithuanian authorities.
"You are doing a fantastic job in protecting the whole European Union. Security now plays an important role in the EU," he said, adding that all EU countries are under hybrid attacks from Russia and Belarus.
"Security must become an integral part of all areas of the EU, whether it is energy, infrastructure, anything else," he said.
According to the Interior Ministry, the situation on the border with Belarus remains tense amid an increase in attempts by illegal migrant to enter Lithuania this year.
Lithuanian border guards have prevented more than 700 people from entering the country illegally n the first several months of this year. Since 2021, Lithuania has recorded over 23,700 such cases.
Right now, Lithuania's entire external border is monitored using technology. 90 percent of Lithuanian border guards are equipped with NATO-compliant weaponry, and the upgrading of the patrol path continues.
Lithuania has installed a physical barrier on its border with Belarus in the wake of the migrant influx, but due to natural obstacles, it does not cover the entire border.
By Jūratė Skėrytė
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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, May 27, 2025
VILNIUS, May 27, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Tuesday, May 27, 2025:
PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to meet with PRIME MINISTER Gintautas Paluckas at 2 p.m.
PRIME MINISTER Gintautas Paluckas to meet with EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner at 11 a.m.; to meet with Microsoft representatives at 1 p.m.
DEFENSE MINISTER Dovile Sakaliene to pay a visit to japan.
JUSTICE MINISTER Rimantas Mockus to pay a visit to Athens and meet with his Greek counterpart Georgios Floridis.
FOREIGN MINISTER Kestutis Budrys to meet with EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER for Internal Affairs and Migration Magnus Brunner.
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