LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Lithuania in talks with Leopard makers to assemble tanks locally – defense minister - BNS INTERVIEW
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, June 10, 2025
- Lithuania turns away 5 irregular migrants on border with Belarus
- Lithuania's defense spending to top 4 percent of GDP this year – defense minister
- Lithuanian defense minister defends Israel visit: 'My job is weapons, not foreign policy'
- Israeli embassy in Lithuania calls Gaza-bound activist boat 'selfie yacht'
- Lithuania, 12 other EU countries call for EU response to GNSS interference
- Ukraine's operation against Russian aviation shows there'll be incursions – Lithuanian FM
- Law enforcement decisions key to assessing Lithuanian PM's conduct – presidential aide
- Lithuanian financial crimes body launches probe into ILTE soft loan to PM's company
- Lithuania hopes to attract Japanese defense investment – vice minister
- Lithuanian financial crimes body launches probe into ILTE soft loan to PM's company (expands)
- Dead seal count soars to 61 on Lithuanian beaches in May and June (media)
- Radzevicius appointed to lead Lithuania's journalist ethics watchdog
- Lithuania buys anti-drone systems to protect strategic energy sites
- Lithuania withdraws from Energy Charter Treaty (updates)
- US tariffs could shave up to 0.8 pp off Lithuania's GDP growth – c. bank economist
- Lithuania offers condolences over Austrian school shooting
- Several hundred people protest in Vilnius against property tax
- Russia's brutality is beyond comprehension – Lithuanian FM in Ukraine
- Lithuania Defense Services in talks to assemble Leopard tanks (media)
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 11, 2025
Lithuania in talks with Leopard makers to assemble tanks locally – defense minister - BNS INTERVIEW
VILNIUS, Jun 10, BNS – Lithuania is in talks with Leopard manufacturers to have the German-made tanks it plans to acquire assembled in the country in cooperation with local businesses."
"In the coming weeks, tank manufacturers will come to discuss the details of assembling the tanks in Lithuania. This is a very positive thing because it means a significant part of the value will be created in Lithuania," Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene told BNS in an interview.
Lithuania plans to purchase a total of 44 Leopard tanks.
Sakaliene did not specify which companies might be involved in the assembly process.
"There are certain initial options, including German-Lithuanian joint ventures that could handle a substantial part of the work," the minister said.
"Once the manufacturers are here, we'll negotiate how the assembly could be implemented in a way that both ensures the timely delivery of the tanks and keeps as much of the added value as possible in Lithuania," she added.
Under the initial agreement, tanks for the first company are expected to arrive in Lithuania in 2029, with a full tank battalion to be formed by 2034.
According to the minister, an advance payment will be made in the coming months to speed up delivery.
"We're now hoping the first tanks could start arriving in 2028. The bulk would come in 2029, with the remainder delivered in 2030," she said.
Lithuania is pushing to accelerate the deliveries as part of its goal to develop a fully operational national division by 2030.
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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, June 10, 2025
VILNIUS, Jun 10, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Tuesday, June 10, 2025:
PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to continue his visit to Japan.
PRIME MINISTER Gintautas Paluckas to meet with Maria Leptin, president of the European Research Council, at 8.30 a.m.
INTERIOR MINISTER Vladislav Kondratovic to meet with Sirpa Rautio, director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, at 10 a.m.
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Lithuania turns away 5 irregular migrants on border with Belarus
VILNIUS, Jun 10, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have turned away five migrants attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally over the past 24 hours, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Tuesday morning.
Latvia reported 35 illegal border crossing attempts on Monday. Poland denied entry to 200 irregular migrants on Sunday, according to the latest available information.
Lithuania has barred a total of 857 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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Lithuania's defense spending to top 4 percent of GDP this year – defense minister
VILNIUS, Jun 10, BNS – Lithuania's defense spending will exceed four percent of GDP this year, Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene said on Monday.
"Tentatively, it will probably be 4.04 percent of GDP this year," she told BNS in an interview.
Lithuania's 2025 budget earmarks around 2.5 billion euros, or just over 3 percent of GDP, for defense, but an 800-million-euro increase in the borrowing limit has made it possible to boost that figure.
At the start of the year, it was believed that this amount would be sufficient to raise defense funding to 4 percent of GDP, but faster-than-expected economic growth meant more money was needed to reach that target.
"That figure had dropped to around 3.92 percent, but now, with the additional funds, we will still top 4 percent," Sakaliene said.
She said the extra defense funding – around 116 million euros – comes from the Bank of Lithuania's profit contribution.
Lithuania aims to spend between 5 to 6 percent of GDP on defense between 2026 and 2030, with next year's target set at 5.25 percent.
The funds will go toward developing a military division and hosting a German brigade in Lithuania.
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Lithuanian defense minister defends Israel visit: 'My job is weapons, not foreign policy'
VILNIUS, Jun 10, BNS – Despite the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Israel's prime minister over military actions in the Gaza Strip, Lithuania has lessons to learn from the country, Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene, who visited the Jewish state this spring, said on Monday.
Sakaliene dismissed criticism from some analysts and members of the public about her visit, emphasizing her goal of learning from Israel's military experience.
"My job, as defense minister, is more about weapons than foreign policy. And in this situation, I see Israel as one of the key sources for strengthening the Lithuanian Armed Forces," she told BNS in an interview.
Israel has recently stepped up its operations in Gaza, describing them as renewed efforts to destroy the Islamist group Hamas.
In response, the United Kingdom has suspended free trade negotiations with Israel. The Jewish state is also facing criticism from an increasing number of European countries, although the European Union remains divided on the issue.
Sakaliene visited Israel in April. After meeting with the country's defense minister, she said the two nations "are united by the fighting spirit."
She was the first Lithuanian defense minister in more than a decade to visit Israel. During her trip, she also met with representatives of the local defense industry to discuss potential cooperation.
"Israel's experience in developing its armed forces is important to us. It is essentially a reservist-based army. (...) Lithuania currently also has a great need to expand its armed forces, its military, and we're looking for ways to increase troop numbers as quickly as possible, with limited infrastructure and personnel resources," the minister told BNS in the interview.
"And right now we have very little time, very complex geopolitical circumstances, and unless told otherwise by our president or prime minister, I'm going to draw all useful experience for the Lithuanian military and armed forces from democratic countries that have that experience," she added.
The International Criminal Court last year issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others, including Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif, over the war in Gaza.
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Israeli embassy in Lithuania calls Gaza-bound activist boat 'selfie yacht'
VILNIUS, Jun 10, BNS – After Israeli forces on Monday intercepted a boat carrying humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, with 12 activists on board including Swedish climate activist Greta Thunberg, the Israeli Embassy in Lithuania called the vessel a "selfie yacht."
"The 'selfie yacht' led by Greta Thunberg safely made its way to the shores of Israel. The passengers are safe and were provided with sandwiches and water, and are expected to return to their home countries," the embassy posted on its Facebook page.
"The tiny amount of aid that wasn't consumed by the 'celebrities' will be transferred to Gaza through real humanitarian channels," it added.
The embassy stressed that there are ways to deliver aid to the Gaza Strip that "do not involve provocations and selfies."
More than 1,200 aid trucks have entered Gaza from Israel over the past two weeks, and nearly 11 million meals have been delivered directly to civilians in Gaza by the US-backed organization Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), according to the post.
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Lithuania, 12 other EU countries call for EU response to GNSS interference
VILNIUS, Jun 10, BNS – 13 EU member states have called on the European Commission to respond to interference with Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) in EU countries.
The ministers for transport and digital affairs from 13 countries have sent a joint letter to the European Commission, urging immediate and coordinated action in response to interference with Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS) originating from Russia and Belarus. Following Lithuania’s initiative, the letter also highlights the urgent need to accelerate the deployment of interference-resistant GNSS services, enhance the overall resilience of critical infrastructure, and strengthen safety and security across Europe.
"The current security environment demands a unified response to hybrid threats posed by hostile regimes, as well as close cooperation to strengthen Europe’s preparedness and resilience. Disruptions to GNSS signals have a direct impact on strategic sectors such as transport, energy, and telecommunications. To prevent potential incidents, we must act swiftly and decisively at the European Union level – not individually, but in a coordinated manner," Lithuanian Transport and Communications Minister Eugenijus Sabutis says.
In the letter addressed to the High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy and Vice-President of the European Commission, Kaja Kallas; Commissioner for Defense and Space, Andrius Kubilius; Commissioner for Sustainable Transport and Tourism, Apostolos Tzitzikostas and other members of the European Commission, the ministers emphasize that since 2022, two types of interference to GNSS – jamming and spoofing – have been observed in the airspace of the Baltic Sea Region, posing a threat to various modes of transport, particularly civil aviation and maritime navigation.
The joint letter signed by the ministers of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Germany, Slovakia, Finland, Slovenia, the Czech Republic, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Denmark, and Romania, also states that that GNSS interference cases are not random incidents but a systematic, deliberate action by Russia and Belarus, which can be used as a hybrid attack on strategic radio spectrum, essential for modern technology, regional safety, and security, particularly in transport.
Furthermore, the ministers call on the EU to increase diplomatic efforts to address the interference and apply pressure on the responsible parties, including legal action against responsible individuals and entities involved in the deliberate interference with GNSS signals, to enhance European safety and security.
Among other immediate actions, the ministers propose to intensify radio frequency monitoring and enhance civil-military coordination mechanisms among Member States for shared monitoring, data exchange, and possible response to GNSS interference. They also advocate for accelerating the deployment of interference-resistant GNSS services, particularly the anti-spoofing features of the Galileo program, and for upgrading and modernizing conventional navigation infrastructure.
In late February, presidential national security advisor Marius Cesnulevicius said that GPS interference had to do with Russia's step taken to defend itself from Ukraine's retaliatory strikes on Russian territory, adding that Lithuania was not a specific target.
Data from Lithuania's flight management company Oro Navigacija (Air Navigation) show that there were 440 reports on GPS interference in January, a tenfold increase from January 2024.
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Ukraine's operation against Russian aviation shows there'll be incursions – Lithuanian FM
VILNIUS, Jun 10, BNS - Ukraine's operation against the Kremlin's aviation shows that incursions into Russia will continue in the future, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys says.
"It (the operation - BNS) shows that Russia is vulnerable, it is not an impregnable fortress. It will be invaded in the future," Budrys said at a joint press conference with his Ukrainian counterpart Andriy Sybiha in Kyiv on Monday.
As BNS reported earlier, Ukraine launched a large-scale attack on Russian military aircraft and struck several bases in the country thousands of kilometers from the border. Ukraine says it caused damage worth 7 billion US dollars (6.17 billion euros).
"Ukraine is at the heart of the debate on global stability and security, and we are making every effort to achieve peace, recognizing that we have a huge challenge –Putin and his obsession with imperialism. We are trying to persuade him on a ceasefire, he is showing that he has no interest in it," Lithuania's top diplomat said.
In his words, Lithuania's support to Ukraine is and will remain comprehensive and long-term.
"I am here to reaffirm: Lithuania will be here for a decade and more, we will support defense, security, your reforms and your accession to the European Union. It’s our long-standing commitment," Budrys stressed.
Despite Hungary's objections, which are hampering Ukraine's EU accession process, he said, the latter must move faster and be based on the principle of merit.
Lithuania aims for Ukraine's EU accession date to be set for January 1, 2030.
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Law enforcement decisions key to assessing Lithuanian PM's conduct – presidential aide
VILNIUS, Jun 10, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda's chief communication adviser Frederikas Jansonas said on Tuesday that law enforcement bodies' findings will be key to assessing Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas' conduct in connection with a company he partly owns that received a soft loan from the national development bank ILTE.
"What the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FCIS) is doing and what the Special Investigation Service (SIS) is reviewing are serious matters – whether the loan or loans were used lawfully and properly. That is the main issue and the answer right now," the adviser told Ziniu Radijas.
He added that while the findings of the Chief Official Ethics Commission, which has launched its own inquiry, "will be part of the picture," the responses from the FCIS and the SIS are "far more important."
On Monday, ILTE said that the loan to Garnis, a company Paluckas partly owns, followed the required procedures and that its internal review had not found any significant shortcomings.
However, the findings of the review recommended that the developers of financial instruments clarify how related parties are defined and include a requirement for actual capital increases before a financing agreement is signed.
Currently, when lending to businesses, ILTE interprets the concept of a "group of companies" in such a way that companies whose shareholder is the same natural person are not considered part of the same group.
The development bank also plans to improve its decision-making procedures for loan applicants connected to politically active individuals.
The investigative journalism center Siena and Laisves TV reported in late May that Garnis, which plans to produce battery systems, received a 200,000-euro soft loan from ILTE when Paluckas was already in office.
The prime minister owns 49 percent of Garnis. In February and March, the government made several decisions related to ILTE with his participation.
He also owns 51 percent of another company, Emus, which would not have qualified for the loan because it has been operating for too long. Garnis would not have been eligible either if it had been formally part of the same company group as Emus.
Questions have also been raised publicly about whether Garnis was created as a front to obtain the loan and whether the company is using the funds as intended.
ILTE said on Monday that it had found no violations in how the loaned funds were used.
Paluckas' conduct is under review by the Chief Official Ethics Commission, and the SIS is also looking into the matter. The prime minister denies any conflict of interest and says he is not involved in his companies' day-to-day operations.
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Lithuanian financial crimes body launches probe into ILTE soft loan to PM's company
VILNIUS, Jun 10, BNS – Lithuania's Financial Crime Investigation Service (FCIS) has launched a pre-trial investigation into a soft loan received by Garnis, a company partly owned by Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, from the national development bank ILTE.
The FCIS said in a press release on Tuesday that the decision to launch the investigation was made last Thursday, adding that the probe concerns possible credit fraud.
"(The goal is) to thoroughly examine the circumstances surrounding the possible fraudulent acquisition of the 200,000-euro soft loan granted to Garnis by ILTE, and the possible use of those funds in the operations of Emus, another company controlled by the same shareholders," the agency said.
"At this stage of the pre-trial investigation, no formal suspicions have been brought against anyone. The pre-trial investigation is being led and supervised by the European Public Prosecutor's Office," it added.
Paluckas is a shareholder in both Garnis and Emus.
By Augustas Stankevičius, Vilmantas Venckūnas
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Lithuania hopes to attract Japanese defense investment – vice minister
VILNIUS, Jun 10, BNS – Lithuania and Japan have great potential for cooperation in the field of defense industry, and Lithuania could attract Japan's defense investment, Defense Vice Minister Loreta Maskalioviene said as she opened a defense industry forum in Tokyo.
"Lithuania and Japan have strengthened their relations in the fields of cyber security and military exchange in recent years. Now we are entering a new phase of cooperation in the field of defense industry," she was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the ministry on Tuesday.
"Our goal is not only to exchange experience, but also to create mutual and lasting value. We see great potential for cooperation with Japan in the field of defense industry, especially in attracting their investment to Lithuania," she said.
Lithuania's defense industry ecosystem was presented during the Tokyo event, and cooperation opportunities were also discussed. Around 20 Lithuanian and Japanese defense industry companies attended the event.
During the forum, Lithuanian representatives presented the country's defense industry development plans, focusing on four main areas: ammunition and explosives, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and anti-drone systems, heavy equipment repair, and maritime defense capabilities.
According to the Defense Ministry, the event showed that Lithuanian companies are already developing high-tech solutions that have been tested in real conditions - on the Ukrainian battlefield.
The participants also talked about the favorable environment created in Lithuania for national and foreign investments in defense, the so-called Green Corridor, which significantly reduces regulatory barriers and simplifies the procedure for issuing land use and construction permits for defense industry projects.
During her visit from Sunday to Tuesday, Maskalioviene also met with representatives of the Japanese Ministry of Defense and the industrial sector. The meetings focused on strengthening bilateral relations in the field of defense industry. Regional security issues and the war in Ukraine were also discussed.
Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene also visited Japan last month. This was the first official visit of this level in the last decade.
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Lithuanian financial crimes body launches probe into ILTE soft loan to PM's company (expands)
VILNIUS, Jun 10, BNS – Lithuania's Financial Crime Investigation Service (FCIS) has launched a pre-trial investigation into a soft loan received by Garnis, a company partly owned by Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, from the national development bank ILTE.
The FCIS said in a press release on Tuesday that the decision to launch the investigation was made last Thursday, adding that the probe concerns possible credit fraud.
"(The goal is) to thoroughly examine the circumstances surrounding the possible fraudulent acquisition of the 200,000-euro soft loan granted to Garnis by ILTE, and the possible use of those funds in the operations of Emus, another company controlled by the same shareholders," the agency said.
"At this stage of the pre-trial investigation, no formal suspicions have been brought against anyone. The pre-trial investigation is being led and supervised by the European Public Prosecutor's Office," it added.
Paluckas is a shareholder in both Garnis and Emus.
ILTE said on Monday that the loan to Garnis followed the required procedures and that its internal review had not found any significant shortcomings.
However, the findings of the review recommended that the developers of financial instruments clarify how related parties are defined and include a requirement for actual capital increases before a financing agreement is signed.
ILTE CEO Dainius Vilcinskas said that no violations had been identified in how the soft loan granted to Garnis was used. Still, he said the development bank continues to cooperate with law enforcement.
The Special Investigation Service (SIS) has started looking into the circumstances following information about the soft loan granted to the company partly owned by Paluckas.
The prime minister previously said he was confident that after ILTE found no irregularities regarding the loan granted to his company, law enforcement agencies would not find any either.
The investigative journalism center Siena (Wall) and Laisves TV reported in late May that Garnis, which plans to produce battery systems, received a 200,000-euro soft loan from ILTE after Paluckas had already taken office.
The prime minister owns 49 percent of Garnis. In February and March, the government made several decisions related to ILTE with his participation.
Paluckas' conduct is also under review by the Chief Official Ethics Commission.
The prime minister denies any conflict of interest and says he is not involved in his companies' day-to-day operations.
He also owns 51 percent of another company, Emus, which would not have qualified for the loan because it has been operating for too long. Garnis would not have been eligible either if it had been formally part of the same company group as Emus.
Questions have also been raised publicly about whether Garnis was created as a front to obtain the loan and whether the company is using the funds as intended.
Among other things, Andrius Tapinas, a journalist and public figure, said he has correspondence between an unnamed company and representatives of Garnis and Emus, both partly owned by Paluckas.
According to Tapinas, the unnamed company was paid with funds from Garnis' soft loan from ILTE, but the goods were delivered to Emus, which was not eligible for the financing.
By Augustas Stankevičius, Vilmantas Venckūnas
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Dead seal count soars to 61 on Lithuanian beaches in May and June (media)
VILNIUS, Jun 10, BNS – Sixty-one dead seals have been found along Lithuania's Baltic Sea coast in May and June, TV3 News reported on Monday.
"This compares to 46 in the entire 12-month period last year. We are seeing the number of dead seals rising each year. Why this is happening is something I'm still questioning," said Jurgita Gustaitiene, head of the animal care center Nuaras.
According to TV3 News, biologists from the Lithuanian Sea Museum's animal rehabilitation center will investigate the cause of death of the seals found on the beaches by performing autopsies on the best-preserved carcasses.
The possibility that parasites are to blame has not been ruled out, since live seal pups arriving in the area are also infested with parasites.
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Radzevicius appointed to lead Lithuania's journalist ethics watchdog
VILNIUS, Jun 10, BNS - Dainius Radzevicius, head of the Lithuanian Union of Journalists, has been appointed Inspector of Journalist Ethics after 70 members of the Seimas voted in favor of his appointment on Tuesday, three voted against and two abstained. One ballot paper was found invalid.
Radzevicius will take up his new position on June 19. Before that, he will need to step down as chairman of the Lithuanian Union of Journalists.
Introducing himself to the parliament in late May, Radzevicius promised to seek dialogue for a safer public space and active cooperation with the Seimas groups and committees.
Radzevicius has a degree in journalism from Vilnius University, a Master's degree in communication and information, and has worked for a number of media outlets, the Office of the Government, the Ministry of Justice, and has been a member of the National UNESCO Commission, the Council of the Lithuanian Radio and Television, and the Lithuanian Radio and Television Commission.
He has been the chairman of the Lithuanian Union of Journalists since 2003.
By Jūratė Skėrytė
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Lithuania buys anti-drone systems to protect strategic energy sites
VILNIUS, Jun 10, BNS – Lithuania's Defense Ministry said on Tuesday it is finalizing the procurement of stationary systems for detecting and neutralizing unmanned aerial vehicles.
The systems will be used to protect strategic energy infrastructure, the ministry said in a press release.
"In the event of aggression against Lithuania, the Lithuanian Armed Forces will take over control of anti-drone systems at energy facilities, integrating them into the overall air defense system," it quoted Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene as saying.
"This decision strengthens the country's overall defense capabilities, especially in light of the rapid development of drone technologies and the challenges they pose to the security of critical infrastructure," she added.
The systems will provide continuous detection of drones and their operators, pinpoint their locations, and prevent them from entering protected areas, according to the ministry.
"The protection of strategic energy infrastructure is one of our key priorities, particularly in the current tense geopolitical environment. We must be prepared for various scenarios, which is why the physical protection of infrastructure is very important," Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas said in the press release.
The ministry said three suppliers took part in the procurement process, with equipment from Poland's Advanced Protection Systems SA selected.
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Lithuania withdraws from Energy Charter Treaty (updates)
VILNIUS, Jun 10, BNS - Lithuania on Tuesday withdrew from the Energy Charter Treaty signed almost three decades ago after 99 members of the Seimas voted in favor, there were no votes against and two lawmakers abstained.
The withdrawal of the European Union and the European Atomic Energy Community (Euratom) from the treaty as no longer compatible with the EU's climate goals under the European Green Deal and the Paris Agreement was approved by the EU Council at the end of May last year.
Therefore, according to the Energy Ministry, it is in Lithuania's interest to withdraw as well.
According to the ministry, after the EU and many of its member states withdrew from the treaty and in the absence of EC coordination, if Lithuania were to remain a party to this treaty, it would increase the country's annual fee, which is currently around 7000 euros.
The Energy Charter Treaty, which involves 47 countries, mostly from Central Asia and the European regions, was signed in 1994 to protect energy investments in turbulent post-Soviet markets.
Since 2016, Italy, France, Germany, Poland, Slovenia, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom and the Netherlands have withdrawn from the treaty, and the EU and Euratom did that in late June.
Lithuania signed the treaty in April 1995 and the Seimas ratified it in June 1998.
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US tariffs could shave up to 0.8 pp off Lithuania's GDP growth – c. bank economist
VILNIUS, Jun 10, BNS – The US import tariffs on most countries worldwide could slow global trade, reducing foreign demand for Lithuanian goods and hurting the country's exports, company revenues and overall economic growth, according to a Bank of Lithuania economist.
Based on the latest estimates by the central bank, weaker foreign demand and greater uncertainty could shave between 0.36 and 0.82 percentage points off Lithuania's GDP growth.
The overall impact on inflation from 2025 to 2029 could range from –0.03 to 0.14 percentage points during the same period.
"The size of the estimated impacts varies depending on the tariff scenarios modeled," Kasparas Vasiliauskas, the central bank economist, said in a press release on Tuesday.
"In the GDP modeling case, the upper impact limit corresponds to a scenario where all countries are subject to 50 percent tariffs on aluminum and steel, 25 percent tariffs on cars and car parts, China is subject to a 30 percent tariff, and other countries are subject to 10 percent tariffs until July 8, 2025," he added.
The United States doubled its tariffs on imported steel and aluminum from 25 to 50 percent starting last Wednesday.
In early April, US President Donald Trump imposed 10 percent tariffs on nearly all US trade partners and announced higher tariffs on dozens of countries, including the European Union and Japan, in an effort to pressure them to correct what Washington considers unfair trade practices.
The higher tariffs were suspended for 90 days, but that suspension is set to expire on July 9.
Last week, the EU trade chief said negotiations with the US "are moving rapidly in the right direction," just a month before the 50 percent US tariffs on European goods are set to take effect.
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Lithuania offers condolences over Austrian school shooting
VILNIUS, Jun 10, BNS – The Lithuanian Foreign Ministry on Tuesday expressed its condolences over a school shooting in the Austrian city of Graz, which left 10 people dead, including the alleged shooter.
"Our deepest condolences to the people of Austria and all affected by the horrendous attack in Graz. In this dark moment, Lithuania stands together with the families of those who tragically lost their lives and wishes a swift and full recovery to all injured," the ministry posted on X.
Elke Kahr, the mayor of the southeastern Austrian city, said nine minors and one adult were killed in the attack, while many others were injured and are currently being treated in hospital.
Graz is Austria's second-largest city with a population of about 300,000.
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Several hundred people protest in Vilnius against property tax
VILNIUS, Jun 10, BNS – Several hundred people gathered outside the Lithuanian parliament on Tuesday to once again express the public opinion about the property tax changes being discussed by lawmakers.
Around 300-400 people are cooking porridge, drinking tea and singing songs outside the Seimas.
"Our goal is to make sure that no housing is taxed, absolutely no housing… The government has backed off a little bit but those demands are not being fully met," Raimondas Simaitis, the head of the association Atoveiksmis, which organized the protest, told reporters.
"We have won a battle, but not yet the war," he told the audience later.
According to Simaitis, this is not a protest because "the authorities have listened" and have backed away from their plans to tax the first residential property.
Signatures are also being collected during the event in favor of an amendment to exclude all residential housing, garden buildings and their pertinent from the property tax.
Simaitis also organized a rally against the universal property tax in late April when over 4,000 people gathered in Cathedral Square in central Vilnius.
Having discussed the tax changes proposed by the government, the parliamentary Committee on Budget and Finance agreed on Monday not to tax first homes at all. This was agreed by the ruling coalition's council last week.
The government had proposed to allow municipalities to set the tax-free value of the first home and to apply rates ranging from 0.1 percent to 1 percent for anything above that.
The final property tax model will be decided by the Seimas.
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Russia's brutality is beyond comprehension – Lithuanian FM in Ukraine
VILNIUS, Jun 10, BNS – All war crimes must receive the harshest possible punishment, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said on Tuesday as he visited the Kherson and Mykolaiv regions on Tuesday with his Ukrainian counterpart Andrii Sybiha.
"Russia's brutality is beyond comprehension. All war crimes and crimes against humanity must be punished in the harshest way. Impunity only encourages further killing. Anyone who kills unarmed civilians with a light hand must not go unpunished," Lithuania's top diplomat said.
The two top diplomats visited a critical infrastructure facility, a hospital and a school in an underground shelter in the Kherson region, according to the Foreign Ministry. They also met with the heads of the military administrations of the two regions, inspected the damage caused by Russia, and discussed the security situation, the needs for assistance and the possibilities for reconstruction in these regions.
Budrys is the first foreign minister to visit Kherson since February 2022.
During the visit to Mykolaiv, the ministers paid tribute to the memory of the fallen Ukrainian defenders.
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Lithuania Defense Services in talks to assemble Leopard tanks (media)
VILNIUS, Jun 10, BNS - Lithuania Defense Services, a company based in Lithuania's central Jonava District, is in talks to assemble German Leopard tanks to be purchased by Lithuania, the public broadcaster LRT reported on Tuesday.
"The necessary infrastructure would be built and developed and the tanks would be assembled here. There are certain plans, which I cannot disclose, of course, but they are concrete, clear, of course, on how to do it. We just need to agree with the government and the Defense Ministry and everything will be done on time and properly", Vilius Semeska, a board member at LDS, told the public broadcaster. "Negotiations are currently taking place at a fairly high level."
The Jonava-based company offers services ranging from maintenance and repair of vehicle systems for the Lithuanian army and NATO allies to logistical support. It was founded in 2022 by two German arms manufacturers, Rheinmetall and Krauss-Maffei Wegmann.
In her recent interview with BNS, Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene said that Lithuania is in talks with Leopard manufacturers to have the German-made tanks it plans to acquire assembled in the country in cooperation with local businesses."
Lithuania plans to purchase a total of 44 Leopard tanks.
Sakaliene did not specify which companies might be involved in the assembly process.
Under the initial agreement, tanks for the first company are expected to arrive in Lithuania in 2029, with a full tank battalion to be formed by 2034.
According to the minister, an advance payment will be made in the coming months to speed up delivery.
Lithuania is pushing to accelerate the deliveries as part of its goal to develop a fully operational national division by 2030.
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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 11, 2025
VILNIUS, Jun 11, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 11, 2025:
PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to continue his visit to Japan.
SOCIAL SECURITY AND LABOR MINISTER Inga Ruginiene to meet with Sirpa Rautio, director of the European Union Agency for Fundamental Rights, at 11 a.m.
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