LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, June 3, 2025
- Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
- Lithuanian, Polish presidents to meet at Lithuanian seaside
- Lithuanian FM to attend OECD Ministerial, meet defense industry reps in Paris
- Lithuania would prefer 5 pct spending on hard defense – presidential aide
- Lithuania's Nauseda expects to meet Polish president-elect this summer – aide
- Giving up Ukraine's NATO membership prospect would be 'mistake' – advisor
- Lithuanian advisor doubts that now is the best time to recognize Palestine
- Lithuania expects to finish 1st phase of Rudninkai military campus ahead of schedule
- Lithuania is against EC initiative to restrict the use of lead (media)
- Lithuanian PM says resignation demands 'taken out of thin air'
- AirBaltic launches direct flights from Vilnius to Tirana
- No signs Russia or Belarus could attack NATO countries – Lithuanian parlt committee chair
- Lithuanian MPs to continue debate on making January 13 public holiday
- Zapad exercise in Belarus poses no additional threats to Lithuania – PM
- Lithuanian PM hopes ties with Poland will remain strong under new president
- Moldovan chief of defense makes 1st official visit to Lithuania
- Zapad exercise in Belarus poses no additional threats to Lithuania – PM (expands)
- Lithuanian parlt begins debate on overhaul of armed forces' structure
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 4, 2025
Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, June 3, 2025
VILNIUS, Jun 03, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Tuesday, June 3, 2025:
PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to meet with Polish President Andrzej Duda in Palanga at 1.20 p.m., followed by their joint press conference.
SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Saulius Skvernelis to pay a working visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
FOREIGN MINISTER Kestutis Budrys attending an OECD Ministerial Council Meeting in Paris.
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Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
VILNIUS, Jun 03, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally in the past 24 hours, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Tuesday morning.
Latvia reported 86 illegal border crossing attempts on Monday. Poland denied entry to 103 irregular migrants on Sunday, according to the latest available information.
Lithuania has barred 818 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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Lithuanian, Polish presidents to meet at Lithuanian seaside
VILNIUS, Jun 03, BNS – Gitanas Nauseda is meeting with Andrzej Duda, on his final visit to Lithuania as Poland's president, at the Lithuanian seaside on Tuesday.
"The two leaders will discuss the outcomes of bilateral cooperation between Lithuania and Poland, the regional security situation, support for Ukraine, preparations for the NATO Summit in The Hague, and shared interests within the European Union," the Lithuanian president's office said.
A joint press conference is planned after the bilateral meeting.
Duda said in Vilnius on Monday that he would encourage Karol Nawrocki, the Polish president-elect, to strengthen ties with Lithuania.
Nauseda, in turn, said he expected to continue close cooperation with Nawrocki.
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Lithuanian FM to attend OECD Ministerial, meet defense industry reps in Paris
VILNIUS, Jun 03, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys is visiting Paris on Tuesday and Wednesday for the Ministerial Council Meeting of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).
Budrys will deliver a speech at the opening session, take part in discussions on international trade, the OECD's external relations and support for Ukraine, and chair a session on the digital economy, according to the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry.
Lithuania is serving as a vice-chair of this year's meeting.
As part of his visit to Paris, Budrys is also scheduled to hold bilateral meetings and meet with representatives of the defense industry.
The OECD 2025 Ministerial Council Meeting is being held under the theme "Leading the Way Towards Resilient, Inclusive, and Sustainable Prosperity Through Rules-Based Trade, Investment and Innovation." It is chaired by Costa Rica, with Australia, Canada and Lithuania as vice-chairs.
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Lithuania would prefer 5 pct spending on hard defense – presidential aide
VILNIUS, Jun 03, BNS – Asta Skaisgiryte, President Gitanas Nauseda's chief foreign policy advisor, said on Tuesday that NATO's proposed increase in defense funding should focus strictly on military needs, though compromise solutions could be considered.
Skaisgiryte's comments come as NATO countries debate a model that includes a 3.5 percent target for hard defense spending and an extra 1.5 percent for defense-related needs, such as dual-use infrastructure.
"In our view, the full 5 percent should go toward military spending, primarily on weapons," the advisor told the Ziniu Radijas radio station.
"This split into 3.5 and 1.5 percent is not what we would prefer, but it could work as a compromise," she added.
US President Donald Trump has been pressing allies to commit 5 percent of their GDP to defense.
Skaisgiryte acknowledged that reaching that target for hard defense could be challenging for larger countries. She also noted that some of them feel less directly threatened by a potential war with Russia.
The advisor emphasized, however, that Russia is capable of striking targets anywhere in Europe.
"Russia's weapons are being modernized and made highly effective. Whether a missile is launched at the Baltic Sea region or deep into Western Europe, say the Iberian Peninsula, we're talking about just a few minutes' difference," Skaisgiryte said.
"It's not like the Iberian Peninsula is out of reach. It's within range if missiles are aimed in that direction," she added.
NATO leaders are expected to agree on new defense spending commitments at their summit in The Hague later this month.
By Saulius Jakučionis
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Lithuania's Nauseda expects to meet Polish president-elect this summer – aide
VILNIUS, Jun 03, BNS – Gitanas Nauseda expects to meet with Karol Nawrocki, Poland's president-elect, later this summer, the Lithuanian president's chief foreign policy advisor said on Tuesday.
"I believe the two presidents (...) will meet this summer," Asta Skaisgiryte told the Ziniu Radijas radio station.
Nawrocki was elected in Sunday's presidential runoff.
Poland's outgoing President Andrzej Duda said in Vilnius on Monday that he would suggest that Nawrocki, who takes office in August, strengthen ties with Lithuania.
Nauseda, in turn, said he hopes to continue close cooperation with Nawrocki.
Duda and Poland's main right-wing opposition party, Law and Justice (PiS), backed Nawrocki during the campaign.
By Saulius Jakučionis
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Giving up Ukraine's NATO membership prospect would be 'mistake' – advisor
VILNIUS, Jun 03, BNS – Giving up the prospect of Ukraine's NATO membership would be a mistake, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda's chief foreign policy advisor warns.
She made the remarks amid media reports that Russia is demanding as a condition for peace in Ukraine that NATO does not accept any more new member states formerly occupied by the Soviet Union.
"We are talking about the fact that NATO membership is not a matter of today, it is a matter of the future, but to refuse such an opportunity even in the future would be a mistake, in my opinion,” sh told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Tuesday.
The Reuters news agency reported on Monday that as part of the ongoing peace talks, Russia is demanding a written commitment from NATO that it will no longer expand eastwards.
Skaisgiryte says that real peace talks have not yet started, and she doubts that "the Ukrainians would easily give up NATO membership".
“It is written into their Constitution and it would be very difficult to give it up," she said.
Russia says the peace deal should also include the withdrawal of Ukrainian troops from four Ukrainian territories partially controlled by Russia, the recognition of Crimea by Moscow, the demilitarization of Ukraine, and new elections.
Skaisgiryte called these demands "strange-sounding".
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Lithuanian advisor doubts that now is the best time to recognize Palestine
VILNIUS, Jun 03, BNS - Asta Skaisgiryte, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda's senior foreign policy advisor, doubts that now is the best time to recognize Palestinian statehood.
"I don't know if now is the right time to consider that. Why recognize the Palestinian state now? What has changed in that state? What has changed? What is new? Lithuania has not yet recognized Palestine and I don't think it could happen in the near future," Skaisgiryte told the Ziniu Radijas news radio on Tuesday.
Foreign media have recently reported that France has started pooling a coalition of European countries to recognize Palestine. The move comes amid mounting pressure on Israel to end its military action in the Gaza Strip.
Spain, Ireland and Norway recognized Palestinian statehood in the spring of 2024.
Supporters of recognition argue that it would help a diplomatic solution to the Palestinian conflict with Israel, but critics question the redrawing of borders during an active phase of war and argue that Palestine cannot be recognized as long as Gaza is ruled by Hamas.
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Lithuania expects to finish 1st phase of Rudninkai military campus ahead of schedule
VILNIUS, Jun 03, BNS – Eika Construction, the contractor for the first phase of the Rudninkai military campus in eastern Lithuania, expects to complete the construction work six months ahead of schedule, the Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
"The relocation of the German brigade to Lithuania for permanent deployment, and the creation of the necessary infrastructure for it, is one of our government's top priorities and is receiving special attention,"Deputy Defense Minister Orijana Masale said in a press release.
"I am pleased to see that the business sector also recognizes the importance of this project and is doing its utmost to ensure that the infrastructure for our German partners is delivered as quickly as possible," she added.
Design and construction work at the Rudninkai military training area began in August 2024. Under the contract, the work was to take 36 months, but the contractor hopes to cut that by six months.
The campus is being developed in phases, in line with the German Defense Ministry's needs. This will allow part of the German brigade to arrive sooner, without having to wait for the entire campus to be finished.
The Lithuanian Defense Ministry has already launched the procurement for infrastructure and public services for the second phase. It will be carried out through a public-private partnership and divided into three parts to reduce risks to the state.
The Rudninkai military campus is the largest military infrastructure project in the history of independent Lithuania and will be the main base for German troops in the country.
Vilnius and Berlin have been actively cooperating in defense since 2017, when Germany took the lead of NATO's multinational battalion stationed in Lithuania. Earlier this month, Germany officially inaugurated its 45th Armored Brigade "Lithuania."
Currently, 500 military personnel from the German brigade are stationed in Lithuania. The brigade is expected to reach its full warfighting capability – 5,000 military and civilian personnel, along with all necessary equipment, gear and supplies – in 2027.
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Lithuania is against EC initiative to restrict the use of lead (media)
VILNIUS, Jun 03, BNS - Lithuania does not support the European Commission's aim to restrict the use of lead, which is toxic to the environment and humans, even though the metal would be allowed to be used for military and security purposes, the delfi.lt news website reports on Tuesday.
According to the Defense Ministry, the proposed exemptions for ammunition used in the military could still have a negative impact on national defense as, in times of a tense geopolitical situation, it would undermine the market for lead ammunition used by the military and Lithuania's readiness to defend itself.
The Defense Ministry also points out that EU law is adapted to peacetime conditions.
Giraites Ginkluotes Gamykla (Giraite Armament Plant, GGG), Lithuania's state-owned ammo maker, says it would be difficult to replace lead in cartridges with copper as copper is more expensive, which subsequently would make the cartridges more expensive, the plant would need new specific equipment and it would be more difficult to maintain the quality of cartridges.
The EC proposes to ban lead pellets for sport shooting and hunting, and lead weights in fishing tackle with concentrations above 1 percent. The Commission says it is a highly toxic metal for aquatic organisms and human fertility.
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Lithuanian PM says resignation demands 'taken out of thin air'
VILNIUS, Jun 03, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas says that demands for him to take responsibility for a loan issued to a company he co-owns and resign are "taken our of thin air".
"I have not committed any wrongdoing, I am not accused of anything, why should I resign? These are all made up, the opposition's questions have been written down and I will answer them," the prime minister told journalists at the Seimas on Tuesday. "Any demands to take responsibility for something that has not been done seem to me to taken out of thin air."
During the parliament's plenary sitting on Tuesday, the prime minister will answer questions on the circumstances surrounding the issuance of the soft loan Garnis, a company co-owned by the prime minister, received.
The opposition Liberals will ask Paluckas to provide more information on the timing of the application to the national development bank ILTE, explain the logic behind the company's establishment and shareholder structure, show the Seimas the loan application and contract, provide the documents on the sources of the capital increase at the company co-owned by the prime minister and his partner, etc.
Garnis, which plans to start the production of battery systems, received a 200,000-euro soft loan from ILTE when Paluckas was already in office, according to a joint investigation released Wednesday by the investigative journalism center Siena and Laisves TV.
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.
The prime minister owns 49 percent of Garnis and 51 percent of Emus. The latter would not have been able to qualify for the loan because it has been in business too long. Garnis would also not have been able to obtain such a loan if it was formally part of a group of companies with Emus.
Questions have therefore been raised as to whether Garnis was created as a sham in order to obtain the loan.
In his recent Facebook post, journalist and public figure Andrius Tapinas said he had correspondence between an unnamed company and representatives of Emus and Garnis, two companies co-owned by Paluckas, proving that the unnamed company had been paid for the goods using the soft loan Garnis received from the national development bank ILTE, but the goods were delivered to Emus, which was initially not eligible for the loan.
"All the allegations will be weighed and measured by the institutions asked to do so, the information has been provided, and I will certainly not make any other comments," the prime minister said. "All the insinuations, the reasoning, the suppression of facts, the distortion of those facts, the suppression of the explanations already given by some of the institutions, suggest that nobody really needs answers and the truth here."
Following media reports about his company, the prime minister asked the Chief Official Ethics Commission to assess the situation, although he maintains he's not in a conflict of public and private interests.
For its part, the Special Investigation Service says it's looking into the latest media repots, and ILTE has vowed to carry out an internal audit within a week and has launched an unscheduled inspection into the possible misuse of the loan.
By Vilmantas Venckūnas
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AirBaltic launches direct flights from Vilnius to Tirana
VILNIUS, Jun 03, BNS - Latvian airline airBaltic is launching direct flights to Tirana from Vilnius to the Albanian capital Tirana.
Flights will take place twice a week until September 30, the airline said on Tuesday.
"Since the launch of direct flights from our home base in Riga to Tirana last year, demand for travel between the Baltics and Albania has grown significantly, making it one of our most popular summer destinations. As a result, we have decided to expand our presence in the Albanian market by introducing new direct service from both Tallinn and Vilnius as well. These new routes offer excellent leisure opportunities for travelers from the Baltics, support inbound tourism from Albania to our region, and enhance connectivity to the Baltic States and beyond, across our network of more than 70 destinations," Mantas Vrubliauskas, VP Network Management at airBaltic, said in the statement.
This summer season, airBaltic will operate 16 direct flights from Vilnius to various destinations in Europe and beyond, as well as from Palanga to Amsterdam.
The airline flies to nearly 130 destinations in Europe, the Middle East, North Africa and the Caucasus from Riga, Tallinn, Vilnius, Tampere and seasonally from Gran Canaria.
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No signs Russia or Belarus could attack NATO countries – Lithuanian parlt committee chair
VILNIUS, Jun 03, BNS – Giedrimas Jeglinskas, chairman of Lithuania's parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense (CNSD), said on Tuesday that there are currently no indications that Russia or Belarus could attack NATO countries.
Jeglinskas' remarks came after Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky called on the Bucharest Nine and Nordic leaders in Vilnius on Monday to seek intelligence on Belarus' plans during this fall's Zapad military drills.
"Our intelligence services have a clear picture of what's happening in Belarus. NATO countries' intelligence sees it too. Right now, there are no indications that Russia, let alone Belarus, could or would be able to carry out a conventional attack on NATO countries," the committee chairman told reporters.
Russia and Belarus are planning to hold the 2025 edition of Zapad, a large-scale military exercise typically held every two years since 2009, in September. The drills, which were skipped in 2023, always raise concerns among officials in neighboring countries about the risk of unintentional incidents.
Jeglinskas said Zelensky's comments reflect the Ukrainian leader's typical rhetorical approach.
"This is a fairly characteristic style for President Zelensky – he often hints that NATO should be more prepared, that Russia or Belarus might strike at any moment. We have to stay alert and understand the context in which he's speaking," he said.
His remarks were echoed by Laurynas Kasciunas, CNSD vice-chairman and former defense minister, who noted that Zelensky, having previously faced attacks from Belarusian territory, is in a state of war and sees things "through an unconventional lens."
"We are taking this very seriously as well, but at this moment there's no intelligence-based data with clear indicators – keeping in mind that Western and NATO intelligence is the strongest in the world – of anything unusual or non-standard, or beyond our control," the conservative MP said.
"That goes for the Zapad drills and for other developments," he added.
Minsk announced last week that it would scale back the Zapad military exercise with Russia planned for September, cutting the number of troops involved in the drills and moving them away from the western border.
The country's defense minister said the move was meant "to demonstrate to our allies and partners around the world the truly peace-loving position of the Republic of Belarus."
Jeglinskas said that despite the announced reduction, the exercise will as usual involve scenarios centered on confrontation with NATO.
"The scenarios played out during these drills are clear – NATO is always included, whether it's an attack on the Alliance or a clash with its forces. That hasn't changed, and it doesn't alter the intentions of either Belarus or Russia to carry out offensive or, as they see it, defensive actions against NATO," he said.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has said that Tarassis 25 – a Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) exercise scheduled to run at the same time as Zapad – will be the largest since the multinational force was established.
The officially stated objectives of Zapad are to practice joint defensive and offensive operations, improve cooperation between the armed forces and test troops' readiness for various security scenarios.
In 2021, the drills involved around 200,000 troops from Russia, Belarus and some other countries. In 2022, Belarus and Russia held a major joint exercise, Union Resolve, which began two weeks before Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
By Dominykas Biržietis, Paulius Perminas
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Lithuanian MPs to continue debate on making January 13 public holiday
VILNIUS, Jun 03, BNS – Lithuanian lawmakers have decided to continue their debate on declaring January 13, the Day of the Defenders of Freedom, a public holiday.
On Tuesday, the Seimas Committee on Social Affairs and Labor did not approve the conclusion to reject Seimas Speaker Saul Skvernelis' proposal. The committee's conclusion was backed by 33 members of the Seimas, 78 voted against and eight abstained.
Skvernelis says the Day of the Defenders of Freedom deserved more recognition than its current status of a commemorative day.
Meanwhile, the Committee on Social Affairs and Labor believes that, although January 13, 1991 was one of the most important dates in the history of modern Lithuania, it is characterized by established commemorative traditions.
After the Seimas rejected this conclusion, the motion will be further considered by the parliamentary Committee on Human Rights.
Now in Lithuania, there are 16 public holidays, three of which fall on weekends.
The government agrees to declare January 13 a public holiday but is proposing not to increase the number of non-working days by excluding November 2, All Souls' Day, from the list of public holiday.
Some politicians propose making January 13 a public holiday instead of the International Labor Day on May 1.
Fourteen civilians were killed and hundreds more were wounded when the Soviet troops stormed the TV Tower and the Radio and Television Committee building in Vilnius in the early morning hours of January 13, 1991 as the Soviets attempted to overthrow by military force the legitimate government of Lithuania, which had declared its independence from the Soviet Union on March 11, 1990.
By Jūratė Skėrytė
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Zapad exercise in Belarus poses no additional threats to Lithuania – PM
VILNIUS, Jun 03, BNS – The Zapad military exercise scheduled to take place in Belarus in the fall does not pose any additional threat to Lithuania, Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas says.
"As regards the Zapad exercise, information is being gathered not only by our intelligence agencies, but also by NATO's intelligence agencies, and all the conclusions are the same: the exercise, which is currently being organized, does not pose any problems or additional threats in terms of its scope and other aspects," the prime minister told reporters at the Seimas on Tuesday.
He refrained to comment on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's call during a meeting of the Bucharest Nine and Nordic leaders in Vilnius on Monday to seek information from the intelligence services on Russia's plans for Belarus this summer.
"I don't know what information the Ukrainian intelligence service or the Ukrainian president have at their disposal, but the information that we have does not pose any additional threats, so the public should not be additionally worried and stressed," Paluckas underlined.
"There's no need to be alarmed. All the information we receive from the special services is taken very seriously, but there are no additional threats that need to be known or communicated to the public," he reiterated.
Earlier in the day, Giedrimas Jeglinskas, chairman of Lithuania's parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense, said there are currently no indications that Russia or Belarus could attack NATO countries.
Jeglinskas' remarks came after Zelensky called on allies to seek intelligence on Belarus' plans regarding Zapad, a large-scale joint military exercise with Russia.
"Ask your intelligence what Russia is planning this summer in Belarus. If they are bold enough to prepare attacks from there, then we need more strength together," he said.
Held every two years since 2009, the Zapad exercise is scheduled for September.
The officially stated objectives are to practice joint defensive and offensive operations, improve cooperation between the armed forces and test troops' readiness for various security scenarios.
However, the drills always raise concerns among officials in neighboring countries about the risk of unintentional incidents.
No Zapad exercise took place in 2023.
British intelligence has cited Russia's shortage of troops and equipment, as well as the Kremlin's unwillingness to face criticism for holding yet another show of force during the war in Ukraine, as likely reasons for the cancellation.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has said that Tarassis 25 – a Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) exercise scheduled to run at the same time as Zapad – will be the largest since the multinational force was established.
This fall, the Lithuanian Armed Forces' combat units will also take part in the Thunder Strike exercise, which will include tactical maneuvers across various locations and military training areas, in line with the country's national defense plan.
By Jūratė Skėrytė
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Lithuanian PM hopes ties with Poland will remain strong under new president
VILNIUS, Jun 03, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said on Tuesday that he hopes that Vilnius and Warsaw will maintain their strategic partnership following Poland's recent presidential election.
"The close bilateral relations and ties between Lithuania and Poland bring tangible benefits to the people of both countries – both economically and in terms of security. I am convinced that the strategic partnership between our two nations is strong – and will remain so," the Lithuanian government quoted the prime minister as saying during a meeting with outgoing Polish President Andrzej Duda.
Paluckas and Duda discussed bilateral relations, energy security, regional infrastructure projects, defense cooperation and other key issues, according to the press release.
The two leaders underlined the need to ensure the implementation of the Harmony Link onshore interconnector and the protection of critical infrastructure, and underlined the importance of the Rail Baltica and Via Baltica projects for both economic growth and military mobility.
The prime minister noted that Poland plays a crucial role in ensuring regional security and supporting Ukraine, and serves as a model for all allies in the field of defense investment.
The leaders also emphasized the need to maintain transatlantic unity and ensure a continued US military presence in Europe during the upcoming NATO summit in The Hague.
Karol Nawrocki, a conservative historian who positioned himself as a Eurosceptic, narrowly won Sunday's presidential runoff against liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski.
Duda, whose second term ends on August 6, and the main right-wing opposition party Law and Justice (PiS) backed Nawrocki during the campaign.
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Moldovan chief of defense makes 1st official visit to Lithuania
VILNIUS, Jun 03, BNS – Moldova's Chief of Defense General Vitalie Micov arrived in Lithuania on Tuesday for his first official visit and met with his Lithuanian counterpart, General Raimundas Vaiksnoras, the Lithuanian Armed Forces said.
The two generals discussed the security situation in both regions, Moldova's progress in modernizing its armed forces in line with NATO standards, and Lithuania's support for the education and training of Moldova's military and civilian personnel through expert meetings and experience-sharing under agreed cooperation formats, the military said in a press release.
"Moldova is our partner in the effort to preserve peace in Eastern Europe. A shared understanding of threats, the growing need to respond to them, and military cooperation are the threads that bind the Lithuanian and Moldovan armed forces," Vaiksnoras said after the meeting.
"I believe this partnership has already grown into a friendship that will allow us to jointly ensure regional security," he added.
Command Senior Enlisted Leader of the Lithuanian Armed Forces Sergeant Major Darius Masiulis and his Moldovan counterpart Sergeant Major Andrei Cojocaru also met to discuss issues within their areas of responsibility.
Under its approved training programs, the Lithuanian Armed Forces regularly train both Lithuanian and foreign troops, including personnel from Moldova. Moldovan officers also study at the Baltic Defense College, which plans to admit more students from Moldova as part of efforts to support the reform of the country's professional military education system.
The commanders of the Lithuanian Grand Hetman Jonas Karolis Chodkevicius Infantry Brigade Zemaitija and the Lithuanian Grand Duke Kestutis Infantry Battalion visited Moldova in April.
Micov is also scheduled to visit the Military Police and meet with its commander, Lieutenant Colonel Raimondas Ivanauskas.
The Moldovan chief of defense will also visit the Brigadier General Kazys Veverskis training area to meet with his country's troops undergoing various Lithuanian training programs and observe a demonstration of a drone piloting course using first-person view (FPV) technology.
The Lithuanian Armed Forces plan to deliver drones to the Moldovan military by the end of this year, with Lithuanian instructors providing training on how to operate the equipment.
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Zapad exercise in Belarus poses no additional threats to Lithuania – PM (expands)
Updated version: adds Sakaliene's comment
VILNIUS, Jun 03, BNS – The Zapad military exercise scheduled to take place in Belarus in the fall does not pose any additional threat to Lithuania, Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas says.
"As regards the Zapad exercise, information is being gathered not only by our intelligence agencies, but also by NATO's intelligence agencies, and all the conclusions are the same: the exercise, which is currently being organized, does not pose any problems or additional threats in terms of its scope and other aspects," the prime minister told reporters at the Seimas on Tuesday.
He refrained to comment on Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky's call during a meeting of the Bucharest Nine and Nordic leaders in Vilnius on Monday to seek information from the intelligence services on Russia's plans for Belarus this summer.
"I don't know what information the Ukrainian intelligence service or the Ukrainian president have at their disposal, but the information that we have does not pose any additional threats, so the public should not be additionally worried and stressed," Paluckas underlined.
"There's no need to be alarmed. All the information we receive from the special services is taken very seriously, but there are no additional threats that need to be known or communicated to the public," he reiterated.
Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene also told journalists on Tuesday she sees no additional threats from Belarus.
"Our military intelligence is constantly collecting and analyzing information, monitoring very closely what is happening on the territory of Belarus. We know for sure what the situation is at the moment, what are the capabilities, what are their sizes and what is the plan when it comes to the Zapad exercise. And right now, we don’t see action that would cause additional concern or pose threat to our territory directly," the minister said.
According to Sakaliene, intelligence data suggests that the Zapad exercise will not be more threatening than usual.
"And what we see in the current context may change somewhat in the next couple of months, depending on certain political decisions of the Russian and Belarusian leaderships, and to a large extent, of course, depending on the course of the war in Ukraine," the defense minister added.
She said she understood Zelensky's statements as an attempt to draw attention to Russia and Belarus' continued aggression against his country.
"The situation in Ukraine is certainly complicated. The leader of the defending country, I think, very rightly wants to draw attention to the fact that the actions, aggression and further planned aggression of both Russia and Belarus are obvious," Sakaliene said.
The Ukrainian-Russian peace talks "are based on a certain assumption that Russia may want a ceasefire or it may want peace", although it doesn’t show such signs, the minister said.
"What I would say is that President Zelensky is probably constantly stressing in various statements that Russia should not be expected to make peace, it will not happen," Sakaliene said.
Earlier in the day, Giedrimas Jeglinskas, chairman of Lithuania's parliamentary Committee on National Security and Defense, said there are currently no indications that Russia or Belarus could attack NATO countries.
Jeglinskas' remarks came after Zelensky called on allies to seek intelligence on Belarus' plans regarding Zapad, a large-scale joint military exercise with Russia.
"Ask your intelligence what Russia is planning this summer in Belarus. If they are bold enough to prepare attacks from there, then we need more strength together," he said.
Held every two years since 2009, the Zapad exercise is scheduled for September.
The officially stated objectives are to practice joint defensive and offensive operations, improve cooperation between the armed forces and test troops' readiness for various security scenarios.
However, the drills always raise concerns among officials in neighboring countries about the risk of unintentional incidents.
No Zapad exercise took place in 2023.
British intelligence has cited Russia's shortage of troops and equipment, as well as the Kremlin's unwillingness to face criticism for holding yet another show of force during the war in Ukraine, as likely reasons for the cancellation.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has said that Tarassis 25 – a Joint Expeditionary Force (JEF) exercise scheduled to run at the same time as Zapad – will be the largest since the multinational force was established.
This fall, the Lithuanian Armed Forces' combat units will also take part in the Thunder Strike exercise, which will include tactical maneuvers across various locations and military training areas, in line with the country's national defense plan.
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Lithuanian parlt begins debate on overhaul of armed forces' structure
VILNIUS, Jun 03, BNS – The Lithuanian parliament on Tuesday gave its initial backing to proposals to overhaul the structure of the country's armed forces.
The Defense Ministry's draft amendments, which call for creating new military units, renaming existing ones and increasing the number of military personnel, passed their first reading in the Seimas with 89 votes in favor, none against and no abstentions.
"In light of the geopolitical situation and the growing need to strengthen the capabilities of the Lithuanian Armed Forces, and in line with the State Defense Council's decision to prepare a national division by 2030, we are proposing structural changes to the Lithuanian Armed Forces and changes to the manning of the national defense system," Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene told the parliament.
The amendments aim to increase the number of professional service members, volunteer troops, and reservists, as well as the number of senior officers, generals, admirals and cadets.
The plan calls for gradually raising the number of professional military personnel to 20,000, the number of volunteer troops to 6,800, and cadets to 600.
According to Sakaliene, the cap on the number of generals would rise from 14 to 22, and the maximum limit for colonels would increase from 66 to 90. The caps for lieutenant colonels, commanders, majors and lieutenant commanders would be set by decree of the defense minister.
"We also propose raising the number of reservists called up for training and exercises each year from 2,000 to 3,000. The expansion of reservist training will definitely continue," the minister said.
Structural changes
The Lithuanian Armed Forces' First Division would consist of three permanent, equally ranked brigades: the Infantry Brigade Iron Wolf, the Infantry Brigade Aukstaitija and the Lithuanian Grand Hetman Jonas Karolis Chodkevicius Infantry Brigade Zemaitija, as well as the Engineering and Artillery Regiments and a reconnaissance battalion.
The General Romualdas Giedraitis Artillery Battalion and the Brigadier General Motiejus Peciulionis Artillery Battalion would be part of the Artillery Regiment.
The bill also calls for creating new military units: a tank battalion within the Iron Wolf Brigade and a logistics battalion within the Aukstaitija Brigade.
Separate support units for the division would include a reconnaissance battalion, a communications battalion and a transport battalion. The Air Defense Regiment would comprise the First and Second Air Defense Battalions, while the Artillery Regiment would include rocket artillery and self-propelled artillery battalions.
The law on the core structure of the armed forces would also incorporate the Board of the Military Commandant's Offices and the Garrison Support Service.
If adopted, the legislation would introduce new names for a number of military units. The infantry division would be officially named the Lithuanian Armed Forces' First Division. The Air Force's Air Defense Regiment would be named the Kazimieras Semenavicius Air Defense Regiment. The Naval Forces' Port and Coastal Defense Service would become the General Kazimieras Nestoras Sapiega Fusilier Battalion.
The Depot Service would be named the Division General Jonas Sutkus Depot Service, while the Iron Wolf Brigade's Logistics Battalion would be renamed the Lieutenant General Jokubas Jasinskis Logistics Battalion.
According to the Defense Ministry, the proposed structural and manning changes would be financed from the ministry's regular state budget allocations. However, the additional weapons, equipment, ammunition and infrastructure needed to fully develop the division would be funded through separate state allocations.
It is estimated that around 28 billion euros will be needed additionally over the next decade to steadily develop the division and the armed forces and to procure the necessary equipment. After 2035, an additional 2 billion euros will be needed for further acquisitions.
Lithuania plans to allocate an additional 12 billion to 13 billion euros for national defense by 2030 as it develops the national division, acquires new equipment and prepares to host a German brigade. This would raise defense spending to 5 to 6 percent of GDP.
In April, the State Defense Council agreed to aim for around 20,000 military personnel in the Lithuanian Armed Forces by 2038.
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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 4, 2025
VILNIUS, Jun 04, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 4, 2025:
PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda's interview with Germany's Bild at 1 p.m.
SPEAKER OF THE SEIMAS Saulius Skvernelis to continue his working visit to Bosnia and Herzegovina.
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