LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, May 29, 2025
- Lithuania turns away 20 irregular migrants on border with Belarus
- PM's company gets EUR 200,000 soft loan from Lithuanian's natl development bank (media)
- South Korean parliamentary speaker to visit Lithuania to boost political dialogue
- Russian foundation funded book distorting Lithuanian history (media)
- Vilnius hosts Lithuania-France Architecture Days
- Consumption of legal cigarettes in Lithuania drops to decade-low
- Legal alcohol consumption in Lithuania hits decade-low
- Lithuanian PM turns to ethics watchdog over EUR 200,000 loan for his company
- Skvernelis on Paluckas' loan story: business and politics should be separate things
- Politicians should sort out business issues before assuming positions – advisor
- Court orders review of Ukrainians' request to move fertilizer from Belarus via Lithuania
- US president thanks Lithuania for US troop rescue operation in Pabrade
- 20 military mobility projects in Lithuania would need EUR 4b – ministry
- Ukrainian national's testimony in Vilnius Ikea arson case matches charges – prosecutor
- Lithuanian foreign minister to visit Spain
- Lithuanian, Korean parlt speakers discuss support for Ukraine
- Lithuania's SIS looking into info on loan to prime minister's company
- Lithuania's army chief talks of 'reputational crisis' as predecessor's case reaches court - BNS SPECIAL
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, May 30, 2025
Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, May 29, 2025
VILNIUS, May 29, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, May 29, 2025:
PRIME MINISTER Gintautas Paluckas to meet with Phil Mackintosh, the chief economist at Nasdaq, at 8.30 a.m.; to meet with Woo Won-shik, the speaker of the National Assembly of South Korea, at 4 p.m.
DEFENSE MINISTER Dovile Sakaliene to continue her visit in Japan.
FOREIGN MINISTER Kestutis Budrys to deliver a speech on Lithuania's foreign policy and economic security at LOGIN 2025 at 10.20 a.m.; to pay a working visit to Spain.
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Lithuania turns away 20 irregular migrants on border with Belarus
VILNIUS, May 29, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have turned away 20 migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally over the past 24 hours, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Thursday morning.
Latvia reported 62 illegal border crossing attempts on Wednesday. Poland denied entry to 222 irregular migrants on Tuesday, according to the latest available information.
Lithuania has barred almost 800 irregular migrants from entering from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year, after turning away 1,002 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.
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PM's company gets EUR 200,000 soft loan from Lithuanian's natl development bank (media)
VILNIUS, May 29, BNS – A company co-owned by Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas received a 200,000-euro soft loan from Lithuania's national development bank ILTE while he was already in office, according to a joint investigation released Wednesday by the investigative journalism center Siena and Laisves TV.
The company, Garnis, plans to produce battery systems.
The report states that the loan – the maximum available under the Start program for young small and medium-sized enterprises – was granted in early February.
In February and March, Paluckas participated in government decisions related to ILTE, including submitting amendments to the law governing the bank's operations and setting borrowing limits for central government entities, including the development bank.
The Finance Ministry is the founder and sole shareholder of ILTE.
Paluckas confirmed to Siena and Laisves TV that he was aware of the loan but insisted that he was not involved in the company's operations. He added that he saw no reason to recuse himself from decisions related to the development bank and that he did not influence them.
The prime minister stressed that he is a minority shareholder in Garnis and downplayed the significance of the capital increase, which he said was necessary to perform "certain business operations," including securing a larger loan from ILTE.
According to the development bank, Garnis appropriately disclosed in its loan application that one of its shareholders was a high-ranking political official.
Paluckas owns 49 percent of Garnis, while the remaining 51 percent is held by Mindaugas Milasauskas. The company was registered in January 2024.
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South Korean parliamentary speaker to visit Lithuania to boost political dialogue
VILNIUS, May 29, BNS – A delegation led by Woo Won-shik, speaker of South Korea's National Assembly, is expected to arrive in Lithuania on Thursday.
"The aim of the meeting (with Saulius Skvernelis) is to strengthen political dialogue between the countries and ensure smooth cooperation in security, defense and economic matters, particularly in the field of high technology," Ramune Muzikeviciute-Narmontiene, an advisor to the Lithuanian parliamentary speaker, told BNS.
The South Korean delegation is also scheduled to meet with President Gitanas Nauseda and Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas.
The Lithuanian parliament has a 22-member group for Interparliamentary relations with the Republic of Korea. South Korea also has a parliamentary friendship group with Lithuania.
Lithuania officially opened its embassy in Seoul last year.
Before coming to Lithuania, the South Korean delegation visited Latvia and Estonia.
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Russian foundation funded book distorting Lithuanian history (media)
VILNIUS, May 29, BNS – Pravfond, a foundation linked to Russian intelligence services, provided funding for a book that distorts Lithuanian history and has already sparked discussion in the country, the national broadcaster LRT reported on Wednesday.
One of the book's authors is Giedrius Grabauskas, a close associate of Algirdas Paleckis, a controversial former politician and diplomat who was convicted of preparing to spy for Russia. Grabauskas fled to Russia to hide from Lithuanian law enforcement.
The application to Russia's Foundation for the Support and Protection of the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad, known as Pravfond, for funding for the book, entitled "The History of Lithuania," was submitted in mid-2022 by Maksim Grigoriev, who co-authored a similar history of Ukraine and has written a number of works reflecting Kremlin interests, according to LRT.
The original application envisioned publishing a Lithuanian history textbook for Russian-speaking youth in Lithuania, with key topics from the textbook to be discussed on social media.
However, this idea was dropped. Pravfond eventually allocated less funding to the Lithuanian history project, and the book's release was delayed by more than a year.
In a separate investigation published earlier in May, LRT revealed that Pravfond had funded the defense lawyers for those charged with crimes against humanity in the January 1991 Soviet crackdown case and had provided money to pro-Russian individuals in Lithuania.
Between 2012 and 2024, Pravfond distributed more than 6 million US dollars (about 5.4 million euros) to various activities in Western countries, according to the Lithuanian public broadcaster.
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Vilnius hosts Lithuania-France Architecture Days
VILNIUS, May 29, BNS – Vilnius is hosting on Thursday and Friday Lithuania-France Architecture Days, a program of public events inviting discussions on how cities can undergo sustainable transformation in response to climate change.
According to the organizers, the program will offer a closer look at the work of Paris-based architects and, for the first time, present the results of international cooperation in Vilnius to the public.
The events will kick off on Thursday at the MO Museum with a lecture titled How to Not Demolish a Building? by the Paris-based studio l'AUC, focusing on "the power of building transformation."
l'AUC, which works at the intersection of architecture and urban planning, is known across Europe for its ambitious building transformation projects and its commitment to sustainable urban development.
The program is organized by the Architecture Fund, the Faculty of Civil Engineering and Architecture at Kaunas University of Technology, and the French Institute in Lithuania.
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Consumption of legal cigarettes in Lithuania drops to decade-low
VILNIUS, May 29, BNS - The consumption of legally purchased cigarettes in Lithuania dropped to the lowest level in almost a decade last year, but the consumption of other tobacco products rose by 19.5 percent, the State Data Agency said on Thursday.
"The consumption of legal tobacco in the form of cigarettes, which rose during the COVID-19 pandemic, declined in 2024 and almost reached its lowest level since 2015," Inga Masiulaityte-Sukevice of the State Data Agency said at the presentation of the latest data.
"The average Lithuanian over 15 smokes more than a standard pack of cigarettes every week. I stress that this is an average, because not everyone smokes," she said.
While cigarette consumption dropped, the consumption of other tobacco-related products rose by 19.5 percent in 2024.
"These include tobacco products used in various forms, including vapes and vape refills, and herbal smoking products. The good news is that consumption is growing at a slower rate from 2022 onwards," she said.
According to the latest statistics, sales of all tobacco products amounted to 832.2 million euros last year, a 9 percent increase from 2023, while sales of related products alone jumped 19.5 percent to 155.5 million euros.
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Legal alcohol consumption in Lithuania hits decade-low
VILNIUS, May 29, BNS – The consumption of legally purchased alcohol in Lithuania fell to its lowest level in a decade last year, according to the State Data Agency.
Inga Masiulaityte-Sukevic, the agency's deputy director, said the amount of pure alcohol consumed per person aged 15 and older averaged 10.2 liters in 2024, 0.8 liters less than in 2023.
"The amount of legal alcohol consumed is the lowest in the past decade," she said during a data presentation on Thursday.
Lithuania's retailers and food service providers sold 2.9 million decaliters of spirits in 2024, a drop of 5.3 percent compared to the previous year. Sales of wine, fermented drinks and cocktails rose by 2.1 percent to 4.3 million decaliters.
Beer remained the most popular alcoholic beverage, with 19.2 million decaliters sold, 7.5 percent less than in the previous year, the agency said.
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Lithuanian PM turns to ethics watchdog over EUR 200,000 loan for his company
VILNIUS, May 29, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas says he did not exert any influence on the country's national development bank ILTE when it issued a loan to his company. The prime minister has also asked the Chief Official Ethics Commission for an opinion on his interests.
"In response to the investigation and the information that has emerged, I myself have today asked the Chief Official Ethics Commission to clarify whether there are any doubts about or recommendations on the reconciliation of public and private interests," he told reporters on Thursday.
"I am personally convinced that I have not violated the provisions of the above-mentioned law, I have declared the company's shares in accordance with the established procedure, and I have a number of observations on some of the facts mentioned in the investigation or on some of the interpretations, but first of all, I want to say that I did not exert any influence on the ILTE, whether written or oral, formal or informal, in relation to the loan," the prime minister underlined.
Approached by BNS, Virginija Aleksejune, spokeswoman for the COEC, said the watchdog had received Paluckas' request to assess the situation.
The prime minister says his company received the loan in accordance with the normal procedure and under standard conditions, adding that he had no intention of giving up his shares in the companies.
Paluckas called to questions about his possible influence on ILTE as "far-fetched reasoning", adding that he has discussed the situation with President Gitanas Nauseda, without providing any detail.
The Prime Minister also said he has no intention of resigning over this situation.
A company co-owned by Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas received a 200,000-euro soft loan from Lithuania's national development bank ILTE while he was already in office, according to a joint investigation released Wednesday by the investigative journalism center Siena and Laisves TV.
The company, Garnis, plans to produce battery systems.
The report states that the loan – the maximum available under the Start program for young small and medium-sized enterprises – was granted in early February.
In February and March, Paluckas participated in government decisions related to ILTE, including submitting amendments to the law governing the bank's operations and setting borrowing limits for central government entities, including the development bank.
The Finance Ministry is the founder and sole shareholder of ILTE.
Paluckas confirmed to Siena and Laisves TV that he was aware of the loan but insisted that he was not involved in the company's operations. He added that he saw no reason to recuse himself from decisions related to the development bank and that he did not influence them.
By Jūratė Skėrytė
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Skvernelis on Paluckas' loan story: business and politics should be separate things
VILNIUS, May 29, BNS – Politics and business should be separate things, Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas Saulius Skvernelis said on Thursday, commenting on the fact that a company co-owned by Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas received a soft loan from the country's national development bank ILTE when he was already in office.
According to Skvernelis, this situation will be assessed by the Chief Officials Ethics Commission.
"I am not strong in business, in corporate governance and shares, so, apparently, the best answer to that question as to whether the law on public and private interests has been violated or not will be given by the Chief Official Ethics Commission," Skvernelis told reporters at the Seimas on Thursday.
"The prime minister says it was done according to the letter of the law, but perhaps every politician assesses the risks and here those risks are permanent and eternal, because business and politics should be separate things," he said, adding that such cases raise even more questions because the prime minister is always "under a magnifying glass".
To avoid similar ambiguous situations, it would be worth considering the possible transfer of shareholding to lawyers and law firms, the speaker said.
In his words, this situation will be viewed differently by the public, politicians, the opposition and coalition partners.
"The fact is that this is a problem, because if it wasn't, you wouldn't be here today, (...) and nor we had this story. I have no doubt we will have some sort of continuation because the opposition will certainly not miss this opportunity," he said.
A company co-owned by Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas received a 200,000-euro soft loan from Lithuania's national development bank ILTE while he was already in office, according to a joint investigation released on Wednesday by the investigative journalism center Siena and Laisves TV.
The company, Garnis, plans to produce battery systems.
The report states that the loan – the maximum available under the Start program for young small and medium-sized enterprises – was granted in early February.
In February and March, Paluckas participated in government decisions related to ILTE, including submitting amendments to the law governing the bank's operations and setting borrowing limits for central government entities, including the development bank.
The Finance Ministry is the founder and sole shareholder of ILTE.
Paluckas confirmed to Siena and Laisves TV that he was aware of the loan but insisted that he was not involved in the company's operations. He added that he saw no reason to recuse himself from decisions related to the development bank and that he did not influence them.
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Politicians should sort out business issues before assuming positions – advisor
VILNIUS, May 29, BNS - Politicians should hand over control of their businesses and shares before they assume high-ranking positions, presidential advisor Frederikas Jansonas says.
This is what President Gitanas Nauseda told Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas during their recent conversation.
"The president expressed his wish that politicians, especially before they take up the most responsible positions in the state, should resolve business issues in a way that would not raise questions or doubts in the future," Jansonas told reporters. "We've had many similar decisions in history and in the world where not only management but also shares are temporarily handed over to others. If this had been the case with Paluckas, we would have probably had far fewer questions today."
Speaking with reporters earlier in the day, Paluckas said he had no intention of giving up shares in companies and that there was no legal framework for their transfer.
According to Jansonas, the president was awaiting the opinion of the Chief Official Ethics in this case.
Paluckas turned to the ethics watchdog himself, asking it to rule in this case.
"In this case, we are talking about a grey area where the answers are first given by the COEC. The president's position will be based on its decision," the presidential advisor said.
A company co-owned by Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas received a 200,000-euro soft loan from Lithuania's national development bank ILTE while he was already in office, according to a joint investigation released Wednesday by the investigative journalism center Siena and Laisves TV.
The company, Garnis, plans to produce battery systems.
The report states that the loan – the maximum available under the Start program for young small and medium-sized enterprises – was granted in early February.
In February and March, Paluckas participated in government decisions related to ILTE, including submitting amendments to the law governing the bank's operations and setting borrowing limits for central government entities, including the development bank.
The Finance Ministry is the founder and sole shareholder of ILTE.
Paluckas confirmed to Siena and Laisves TV that he was aware of the loan but insisted that he was not involved in the company's operations. He added that he saw no reason to recuse himself from decisions related to the development bank and that he did not influence them.
By Jūratė Skėrytė
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Court orders review of Ukrainians' request to move fertilizer from Belarus via Lithuania
VILNIUS, May 29, BNS – A court has ordered the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FCIS) to reconsider a request from Ukraine's fertilizer, grain trade and logistics company Agropartner to allow the transit of fertilizer from Belarus to Ukraine via Lithuania.
The Regional Administrative Court said on Thursday it had upheld the Ukrainian company's appeal and ordered the FCIS to reconsider the application, which was submitted in August 2023.
According to the court, the FCIS refused to authorize the transport of a urea and ammonium mixture produced by Grodno Azot, a sanctioned Belarusian fertilizer company, citing EU sanctions against Minsk and Belarus' involvement in Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
The financial crimes agency told the court that it did not issue the permit because Grodno Azot could benefit from the fertilizer sale.
Agropartner argued in court that the fertilizer belongs to the company, was purchased from Belfert Ukraine before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, had been fully paid for, and that Grodno Azot was not involved in the transaction, has no control over the goods and cannot profit from them, meaning there are no grounds to apply EU restrictions.
The company also emphasized that the fertilizer is intended for use in Ukrainian agriculture and would only pass through Lithuania in transit, not enter the EU market.
The court's ruling can be appealed to the Supreme Administrative Court of Lithuania.
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US president thanks Lithuania for US troop rescue operation in Pabrade
VILNIUS, May 29, BNS – US President Donald Trump has expressed his gratitude to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, the Lithuanian government, national services, and the people of Lithuania for the search and rescue operation conducted near the General Silvestras Zukauskas Training Area in Pabrade after four US soldiers went missing during a military training exercise on March 25, the Lithuanian presidential office said on Thursday.
"On behalf of the American people, the families of our fallen, and our military, we thank you and the great people of Lithuania for your heartfelt condolences for the loss of our soldiers during training in Pabradė. We are grateful to the Lithuanian servicemembers who went above and beyond the call of duty to help recover our soldiers and get them home," President Trump wrote in his message of gratitude.
The US president thanked the Lithuanian nation for the care, devotion, and responsiveness during this tragedy, adding that this tragedy touched many but also made both countries grow stronger together.
Four US soldiers driving an M88 Hercules armored personnel carrier went missing during a training exercise at the Pabrade training area on March 25. The search and rescue operation lasted a week and involved Lithuanian, US, Polish, Estonian troops, officials and civilians.
The vehicle with the bodies of the three soldiers was recovered from the swamp on March 31, and the fourth drowned soldier was found the next day.
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20 military mobility projects in Lithuania would need EUR 4b – ministry
VILNIUS, May 29, BNS – Lithuania's Defense Ministry has identified over 20 military mobility projects under development in Lithuania that would require 4 billion euros, with the largest share going to the Via Baltica project, the ministry said on Thursday.
"The European Union's budgeting and planning must be based on a wartime mentality. Lithuania has identified more than 20 military mobility infrastructure projects worth 4 billion euros, of which the Via Baltica project should receive the largest share," Defense Vice Minister Orijana Masale told a meeting of the transport ministers from the Bucharest Nine Central and Eastern European countries in Vilnius earlier this week.
"These projects will further improve the movement of military equipment and ensure compatibility with EU and NATO requirements," she said, adding that efficient military mobility "is not a luxury but an absolute necessity" for European security.
According to Masale, Lithuania's priority in the area of military mobility is land transport infrastructure, including roads and railways. However, she said, Lithuania's capabilities in this area alone are not sufficient.
"We need to ensure consistent funding from the Connecting Europe Facility, have a smoothly functioning network of military mobility corridors, deepen cooperation between the EU and NATO to unify and streamline military mobility operations, and implement solutions to protect critical infrastructure by increasing resilience and security against hybrid threats," the vice minister pointed out.
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Ukrainian national's testimony in Vilnius Ikea arson case matches charges – prosecutor
VILNIUS, May 29, BNS – As the Vilnius Regional Court continued hearing the Ikea arson case on Thursday, prosecutor Tomas Uldukis said the defendant's testimony is consistent with the charges brought against him.
"His statements at the start of the investigation were not entirely consistent. But later they became clearer. The testimony he gave in court matches the charges. That's a key factor in allowing the case to proceed under a shortened procedure," Uldukis said.
He declined to answer questions about the defendant's ethnicity.
"I actually can't answer, even though I know. He expressed his views in court," the prosecutor said.
On Thursday, the court began reading out Daniil Bardadim's pretrial testimony regarding the Ikea arson, but one hearing was not enough to complete it. The reading will continue on June 19. The procedure is taking longer because everything is being translated into Russian.
"During the pretrial investigation, he was questioned nearly ten times. The interviews were extensive. He gave testimony not only to Lithuanian officers but also in the presence of Polish officials," Uldukis said.
The reading of the testimony is expected to conclude during the next hearing. The court will then decide whether to examine the evidence under a shortened procedure, as the defendant has admitted guilt.
After that, closing arguments will be delivered by the prosecutor and the defendant's lawyer. Uldukis estimates that two or three more hearings will be needed to wrap up the trial.
Poland has issued a European arrest warrant for Bardadim. According to the prosecutor, once the verdict is handed down, further decisions will be made regarding the warrant and where the sentence will be served.
The young Ukrainian citizen accused of setting fire to the Ikea store in Vilnius is charged with committing a terrorist act, unlawful possession of explosives, terrorist training, and traveling for terrorist purposes.
He was a minor at the time of the crime, so the maximum sentence he could face is 10 years in prison.
Lithuanian officials say the attack at the Ikea store was carried out by a terrorist group and may have been masterminded and ordered by people with links to Russian special services. The group's activities were coordinated through social platforms, using encrypted messages.
According to the case file, an explosive device with a timer was planted in the Vilnius Ikea store on May 8, 2024. It detonated during the night, causing an explosion and fire.
A civil claim has been filed in the case, seeking 485,000 euros in damages to the store. The property was insured by Gjensidige.
Gjensidige's representative on Thursday asked the court not to examine the claim, as the insurance company has decided to seek compensation through civil proceedings.
The pretrial investigation found that two Ukrainian nationals under the age of 20 actually carried out the attack. Bardadim was 17 at the time.
The other suspect has been detained in Poland, where a large shopping center was also set on fire.
In March, prosecutors said the investigation into those behind the attack was still ongoing. Authorities have issued international arrest warrants for several suspects.
Bardadim was arrested near Panevezys on May 13, 2024. Lithuanian officials say he had returned to the country, collected tools for another arson attack and was on a bus to Riga to carry out a second terrorist act when he was detained.
By Ainis Gurevičius
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Lithuanian foreign minister to visit Spain
VILNIUS, May 29, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys is heading to Spain for an official visit, the Foreign Ministry announced on Thursday.
In Madrid, Budrys will meet with his Spanish counterpart, Jose Manuel Albares, to discuss bilateral cooperation, bolstering European security and defense, support for Ukraine and preparations for the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague.
While in the Spanish capital, the minister will also meet with heads of the Spanish Institute for Strategic Studies and visit the EU Satellite Center, which provides important information for EU decision-making and crisis management operations.
Lithuania's top diplomat will be in Spain on Thursday and Friday.
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Lithuanian, Korean parlt speakers discuss support for Ukraine
VILNIUS, May 29, BNS – Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas Saulius Skvernelis met with his Korean counterpart Woo Won-shik in Vilnius on Thursday and discussed geopolitical challenges and support for Ukraine
"Lithuania supports cooperation between Korea and NATO as it can help ensure a joint response to threats in the region and help combine capabilities to maintain stability in NATO and the Indo-Pacific region," Skvernelis was quoted as saying in a statement release by the Seimas press service after the meeting.
He invited the Republic of Korea to continue supporting Ukraine and to contribute to the Lithuanian-initiated Demining Coalition for Ukraine and the reconstruction projects in Ukraine.
The two parliamentary leaders also discussed bilateral relations. According to Skvernelis, there are still many untapped opportunities in the tourism sector, and ore attention should be paid to human, academic and cultural relations and exchanges.
"We see that the importance and need for cooperation between our two countries is growing, bilateral trade is expanding, and we need to find ways to further strengthen economic exchanges, especially in high added value sectors. We are ready to develop an active parliamentary partnership between the two countries, and we aim to bring the political and economic dialogue to the level of a strategic partnership," Skvernelis said.
This is the third visit of a Korean parliamentary speaker to Lithuania since the two countries established diplomatic relations. Previously, the speakers of the National Assembly visited Lithuania in 2011 and 2019.
Both the Lithuanian and Korean parliaments have inter-parliamentary group for bilateral relations.
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Lithuania's SIS looking into info on loan to prime minister's company
VILNIUS, May 29, BNS – Lithuania's Special Investigation Service said on Thursday it's looking into media reports that a company co-owned by Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas received a soft 200,000 euro loan from the country's national development bank ILTE when he was already in office.
"Following the publication of information by the investigative journalism center Siena and Laisves TV about the situation regarding the soft loan issued to a company linked to the prime minister by the national development bank, the Special Investigation Service started assessing this information," the service said in a statement, adding that a decision on a pre-trial investigation would be made when factual data emerge that should be assessed from the point of view of criminal liability.
A company co-owned by Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas received a 200,000-euro soft loan from Lithuania's national development bank ILTE while he was already in office, according to a joint investigation released Wednesday by the investigative journalism center Siena and Laisves TV.
The company, Garnis, plans to produce battery systems.
The report states that the loan – the maximum available under the Start program for young small and medium-sized enterprises – was granted in early February.
In February and March, Paluckas participated in government decisions related to ILTE, including submitting amendments to the law governing the bank's operations and setting borrowing limits for central government entities, including the development bank.
The Finance Ministry is the founder and sole shareholder of ILTE.
Paluckas confirmed to Siena and Laisves TV that he was aware of the loan but insisted that he was not involved in the company's operations. He added that he saw no reason to recuse himself from decisions related to the development bank and that he did not influence them.
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Lithuania's army chief talks of 'reputational crisis' as predecessor's case reaches court - BNS SPECIAL
VILNIUS, May 29, BNS – As a criminal case involving ex-Lithuanian Chief of Defense Valdemaras Rupys regarding allegedly illegally provided healthcare services reaches court, his successor Raimundas Vaiksnoras says it is a reputational crisis for the army. However, judging from media reports, he has the impression that no serious violation has been committed.
"In any case, it casts a shadow because in the army ,we have to focus on maintaining readiness, combat training and preparing to defend the homeland, and now it turns out that we will have to pay some attention to this reputational crisis. But I would also say that... Yes, it has hit the headlines, I am not aware of the whole story, (...) it's my personal opinion, but I think it's been blown out of proportion a bit," Vaiksnoras said in an interview with BNS on Thursday.
"Of course, the law enforcement authorities carried out the investigation and made the decision it made. I just hope (...) that it will end up being just a minor thing since, as far as I am aware of that public information, there were no serious violations, only suspicions. But, of course, the court will decide," Vaiksnoras said, adding that he was not aware of the details of the Rupsys case.
On Wednesday, the Vilnius Regional Prosecutor's Office also handed over to court the criminal case of a former medical officer of the Military Medical Service for allegedly illegally rendered health care services.
Corruption prevention in the army is always "at its highest point", the chief of defense said.
"The processes and procedures have been reviewed and, as in every case, internal investigations have been carried out. Every time we receive information like this, we take it very seriously as for me, as the commander, as a soldier, reputation is the most important thing. We cannot lose public trust," the commander said.
The Special Investigation Service told BNS earlier that Rupsys is charged with abuse of power, document forgery and fraud. The former medical officer of the MD Jonas Basanavicius Military Medical Service of the Lithuanian Armed Forces is charged with abuse of power, document forgery and aiding and abetting fraud.
The pre-trial investigation was initiated by the STT following a report from the Defense Ministry.
Approached by BNS, the Defense Ministry said it had no information on the ongoing criminal process in this case and refrained to comment on the situation.
BNS has reached out to Rupsys for comment.
As BNS reported earlier, while serving as the chief of defense, Rupsys underwent a dental implant placement procedure at a cost of around 4,000, paid for by the army. Rupsys claimed at the time that he had suffered a dental injury while visiting troops in 2022, which was deemed as service-related and therefore covered by the national defense system.
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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Friday, May 30, 2025
VILNIUS, May 30, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Friday, May 30, 2025:
PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to meet with Woo Won-shik, the speaker of the National Assembly of South Korea, at 1 p.m.; to meet with European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius at2 p.m.
PRIME MINISTER Gintautas Paluckas to attend a working session on regional security and defense at the Latvian National Museum of History at 10.30 a.m.; to attend a working session on regional infrastructure projects at 1.45 a.m.; to hold a joint press conference with the Latvian and Estonian prime ministers at 1 p.m.; to attend a working lunch at the invitation of the Latvian prime ministers at 1.45 p.m.
DEFENSE MINISTER Dovile Sakaliene to pay a visit to Singapore.
Defence Vice Minister Tomas Godliauskas, European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius and high-level representatives of the Baltic and Polish defense ministries and militaries to visit the counter-mobility park at the Rudninkai military training area, at 5.15 p.m., followed by a press conference at 5.30 p.m.
FOREIGN MINISTER Kestutis Budrys is on a visit to Spain.
EUROPEAN COMMISSIONER FOR DEFENSE AND SPACE Andrius Kubilius to attend a discussion on the EU's White Paper on defense at the Geopolitics and Security Studies Center at 9.15 a.m.; to give a speech on innovation in Europe's defense sector at LOGIN 2025 at 11 a.m.
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