LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN
IN THIS ISSUE:
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Monday, June 23, 2025
- Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
- Lithuanian foreign minister in Brussels for EU talks on Middle East, Ukraine
- Lithuanian formin to call for applying US 'peace through strength' approach in Ukraine
- Kellogg's deputy thanks Lithuania for cooperation in prisoners' release in Belarus
- Lithuanian FM says no easing of sanctions on Belarus until all political prisoners freed
- Lithuania expected release of several Belarus-held citizens – foreign minister
- Tsikhanouskaya remains Belarusian opposition leader – her freed husband
- Baltic States, Poland call for EU’s focused attention to protection of EU's eastern border
- Stricter sanctions needed or West will struggle with ultimatums to Russia – Lithuanian FM
- EU Commission approves Lithuania’s request to reallocate EUR 154 mln in RRF funds
- Ex-Lithuanian FM Landsbergis to receive Global Economy Prize
- Lithuania proposes 6-point plan to EU on how to deal with Georgia – FM
- Lithuania’s Supreme Court to examine Gorbachev's responsibility for January 13 events
- Nobel laureates urge Lithuania, others to reconsider exit from mine ban treaty
- Lithuania's Special Investigation Service rules out separate probe into loan to PM’s co
- NATO's 5 pct defense spending deal gives no exceptions to any ally – Lithuanian FM
- Lithuanian defmin says NATO declaration includes no exemptions on defense spending
- Iran-Russia dialogue increases need to deepen transatlantic positions – Lithuanian FM
- MP proposes recognizing 1941 independence declaration as legal act of Lithuanian state
- Lithuania to work out new security measures for Russian passengers’ transit by train
- Twenty-six species, including 4 relevant to Lithuania, added to EU's invasive species list
- NATO jets in Baltics scrambled seven times over Russian aircraft last week
- Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 25, 2025
- Vilnius University moves down in global ranking, but outperforms other Lithuanian schools
Upcoming events in Lithuania for Monday, June 23, 2025
VILNIUS, Jun 23, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Monday, June 23, 2025:
PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to give an interview to Deutsche Welle at 2.30 p.m.
FOREIGN MINISTER Kestutis Budrys to take part in the Foreign Affairs Council session in Brussels, Belgium.
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Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
VILNIUS, Jun 23, 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 Monday morning.
Latvia reported 29 illegal border crossing attempts on Sunday. Poland denied entry to 107 irregular migrants on Saturday, according to the latest available information.
Lithuania has barred 872 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 foreign minister in Brussels for EU talks on Middle East, Ukraine
VILNIUS, Jun 23, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys is visiting Brussels on Monday to discuss the situation in the Middle East and Russia's war against Ukraine with his EU counterparts.
According to the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry, the main focus of the meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) will be on Iran and the situation in the Middle East after the United States struck Tehran's nuclear facilities over the weekend.
Budrys said on the eve of the meeting that he would call for applying the US doctrine of "peace through strength" in Ukraine, noting that it had "produced results in Iran."
Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has also been invited to the meeting. Last week, he said that Russia had been rejecting, for more than three months, a proposal from Washington and Kyiv to halt the fighting without preconditions
EU foreign ministers will also discuss the crisis in the Gaza Strip. Some human rights groups accuse Israel of committing genocide in the territory, where war has raged for more than a year and a half following the Islamist group Hamas' attack on October 7, 2023.
The agenda also includes EU policy toward Syria and Libya, a discussion on China and European security, and a review of current affairs, focusing on Georgia.
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Lithuanian formin to call for applying US 'peace through strength' approach in Ukraine
VILNIUS, Jun 23, BNS – Following US strikes on Iran's nuclear facilities, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said he will urge his European counterparts in Brussels on Monday to apply the US "peace through strength" approach to Ukraine as well.
"One point I'll be stressing tomorrow morning at the Foreign Affairs Council in Brussels – where the meeting will begin with the Iran issue – is that the American formula of peace through strength is clearly delivering results in Iran, and I would very much like to see it applied in Ukraine too," Budrys said in a special LRT news broadcast on Sunday.
"Because we see that other formulas haven't yielded results there so far," he added.
The minister noted, however, that the nature of the conflicts in Iran and Ukraine differs.
"What we're hearing from both Israel and the United States is that this isn't the kind of war Russia launched against Ukraine, where the goal is to occupy a country or seize part of its territory. The focus here is on Iran's nuclear program and its repeated threats to wipe Israel off the map," he said.
Budrys will be in Brussels on Monday for a meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council, where ministers will discuss the situation in the Middle East and Russia's war on Ukraine. Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha has also been invited to the meeting.
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Kellogg's deputy thanks Lithuania for cooperation in prisoners' release in Belarus
VILNIUS, Jun 23, BNS – Following the release of 14 political prisoners in Belarus, including opposition leader Syarhei Tsikhanouski, US special envoy Keith Kellogg's deputy has thanked Lithuania for its cooperation.
"President Trump's strong leadership led to the release of 14 prisoners from Belarus today. Thanks to the Lithuanian government for its cooperation and assistance – they remain a true friend and ally," John Coale posted on the X social media platform on Saturday.
Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said ealier on Saturday that the released prisoners were now in Lithuania and receiving care.
Lithuania's top diplomat emphasized the key role played by the United States in securing the prisoners' release and called for continued efforts to free more than a thousand other political detainees in Belarus, whom he described as "hostages."
Coale said that the mission to free the prisoners was "encouraged" by US President Donald Trump, Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau, and "many others in the administration."
"The United States is now strong, so we can get these kind of things done. I had started a relationship with Lukashenko and we brought back the last American held there about six weeks ago," Kellogg's deputy said in a video posted on X, which shows him speaking at the US Embassy in Vilnius.
"This time we went back and we got 14 people from different countries that are now free," he added.
The deputy also shared his impressions from meeting the freed prisoners.
"And the moment that I remember is when the van pulled up with the 14 to a back road we were meeting them on. I opened the door and they all had their heads down like this and they didn't know what was going on," he said.
"I opened the door and they all had their heads down like this and they didn't know what was going on. I said, you're free, you're free. And some of them spoke English, got the message, told the other and everything changed. Cause they had no idea where they were going. They could have been going to a terrible plane or whatever."
Tsikhanouski was released just hours after Belarusian authorities announced that the country's authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, had met with Kellogg in Minsk.
Tsikhanouski, 46, had spent more than five years in prison.
He had planned to run against Lukashenko in the August 2020 presidential election, but was arrested and detained weeks before the vote. His wife, Sviatlana, then a political novice, ran in his place.
Tsikhanouski was sentenced in 2021 to 18 years in prison for "organizing riots" and "inciting hatred", then to another 18 months for "insubordination".
Belarus, ruled by Lukashenko since 1994, has outlawed all opposition movements and remains the only European country that retains the death penalty.
According to the Belarusian human rights group Viasna, the country still holds more than 1,000 political prisoners in its jails.
By Dominykas Biržietis
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Lithuanian FM says no easing of sanctions on Belarus until all political prisoners freed
VILNIUS, Jun 23, BNS – After Belarus released several political prisoners over the weekend, including Syarhei Tsikhanouski, the husband of opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said this does not give grounds for considering easing sanctions against the Minsk regime.
"Lithuania is part of the European Union sanctions regime and has also imposed its own measures. As of today, I see no grounds to review anything," Budrys told reporters on Sunday.
He noted that some of the national and EU sanctions were tied to human rights and the state of democracy in Belarus, as well as Minsk's support for Russia's aggression against Ukraine.
"Given the reasons why they were imposed, it's not about one prisoner release, or two, or three. We've already had a series of releases, but all political prisoners must be freed, no new prisoners should be jailed, and only then can we talk about anything," the foreign minister said.
"That is the direction (Alexander) Lukashenko must take before we can consider reviewing the sanctions policy," he added.
Budrys' comment came after 14 political prisoners were released in Belarus on Saturday and brought to Lithuania. The freed prisoners emphasized the role of US President Donald Trump and his administration in securing their release.
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Lithuania expected release of several Belarus-held citizens – foreign minister
VILNIUS, Jun 23, BNS – Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said on Sunday that Lithuania had hoped recent US efforts would lead to the release of several Lithuanians and residents with Lithuanian permits held in Belarus, but this did not happen.
"Yes, we had our expectations, yes, we wanted to resolve the issue and still want to, concerning the fate of several of our citizens there (in Belarus), as well as individuals with residence permits in Lithuania who got into trouble there, but this time it did not happen. We leave that work for the future," Budrys told reporters.
"Many efforts are ongoing behind the scenes, and we dedicate considerable attention to making life easier for those there and helping them return home as soon as possible," he added.
The minister said that some people are serving prison sentences in Belarus as extremists for posting content on social media while living in Lithuania.
His comment came after 14 political prisoners were released in Belarus on Saturday and brought to Lithuania: five Belarusians, including opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya's husband Syarhei, as well as citizens of Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Japan, Sweden and the US.
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Tsikhanouskaya remains Belarusian opposition leader – her freed husband
VILNIUS, Jun 23, BNS – Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya will continue to lead the Belarusian opposition, her husband Syarhei Tsikhanouski said after his recent release from prison.
"Sviatlana remains the opposition leader. I don't believe someone coming out of five years in isolation can suddenly become can suddenly become a leader out of nowhere," Tsikhanouski told reporters through a translator at a press conference in Vilnius on Sunday.
"We have 1,100 other leaders like this who are still in prison," he added.
Tsikhanouski and 13 other political prisoners were released on Saturday, just hours after Belarusian authorities announced that the country's authoritarian president, Alexander Lukashenko, had met with US special envoy Keith Kellogg in Minsk.
When asked by journalists whether the opposition plans to continue its activities in exile and whether he intends to return home, Tsikhanouski said he hopes to return but did not specify when.
"Of course, I hope to return to Belarus one day. But right now, I feel like I'm in a parallel universe – I spent five years in solitary confinement, completely alone," the 46-year-old said.
"Over the last three years, I received almost no information – just fragments. Now I feel a bit like I'm in the movie 'Back to the Future' and have to piece together a lot of information to understand what's going on and to orient myself in this reality," he added.
'Never a pro-Russian politician'
When asked by Lithuanian journalists about his visit to Russian-occupied Crimea in 2017 and whether he is pro-Russian, Tsikhanouski denied supporting Russia.
He said he visited Crimea for a day or two "some years ago" at a friend's invitation, describing it as a "pilgrimage" to visit holy sites.
"I was never a pro-Russian politician. I've always been a Belarusian politician. They were shouting that there was some kind of Russian passport – I have never had a Russian passport."
Tsikhanouski said he had two offices – one in Belarus, one in Moscow – and one in Kyiv, and had a company in Lithuania that never operated because he had just bought it.
"At the time, I was working in Russia and once went on a trip somewhere – I didn't consider it 'ours' or 'yours'," the man said, referring to Crimea. "I wasn't involved in politics then; I wasn't a blogger – I was just an ordinary Belarusian."
"Crimea is Ukrainian territory. And I don't support any of Russia's claims to certain territories of Ukraine. I fully support Ukraine and its president, Volodymyr Zelensky. I absolutely admire him; he's a hero to me," he said.
Tsikhanouski said that Russian President Vladimir Putin's regime is a common enemy of both Ukrainians and Belarusians.
"Putin's regime – until it falls, there can be no victory in Belarus," he said. "Putin calls black white just because it suited him in 2020."
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys on Sunday dismissed suggestions that Tsikhanouski is pro-Russian, noting that he is a symbol of the Belarusian opposition and was imprisoned for political reasons.
"I think this is where we should stop when assessing the situation. Five years in a Belarusian prison – look at how a person looks after that. For me, it's also a duty to bring all Lithuanian citizens home," the minister said.
Tsikhanouski had spent more than five years in prison.
He had planned to run against Lukashenko in the August 2020 presidential election, but was arrested and detained weeks before the vote. His wife, Sviatlana, then a political novice, ran in his place.
Tsikhanouski was sentenced in 2021 to 18 years in prison for "organizing riots" and "inciting hatred", then to another 18 months for "insubordination".
Belarus, ruled by Lukashenko since 1994, has outlawed all opposition movements and remains the only European country that retains the death penalty.
According to the Belarusian human rights group Viasna, the country still holds more than 1,000 political prisoners in its jails.
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Baltic States, Poland call for EU’s focused attention to protection of EU's eastern border
VILNIUS, Jun 23, BNS – The Baltic countries and Poland have called the European Union’s (EU) institutions to support projects aimed at protecting the Community's eastern border.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, together with the prime ministers of Estonia, Latvia and Poland, sent a letter to the President of the European Council, Antonio Costa, and the President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, calling for focused attention to joint EU security initiatives along the bloc’s eastern border, the presidential office said in a press release on Friday.
“The letter underscores that Russia’s war against Ukraine and the deepening security crisis in Europe require a coordinated and determined response. Russia is testing Europe’s resilience – particularly along the eastern borders of EU member states – through acts of sabotage, destabilization, and the instrumentalization of migrants,” the presidential office said.
The letter highlights two strategic initiatives – the Baltic Defense Line and the Eastern Shield – which aim to bolster deterrence capabilities along the EU’s and NATO’s eastern flank by implementing layered defensive measures. Coordination of these initiatives among the four countries is already underway.
According to the letter, the countries’ leaders call on European institutions to recognize these initiatives as projects of common European interest and to consider providing both financial and political support through all available EU instruments.
Nauseda and the prime ministers of Latvia, Estonia and Poland also stress that their countries have made defense a clear priority, with an ambition to allocate no less than 5 percent of GDP to defense. The countries are also actively cooperating to strengthen border security and to build a robust first line of defense for the entire Union.
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Stricter sanctions needed or West will struggle with ultimatums to Russia – Lithuanian FM
VILNIUS, Jun 23, BNS – The European Union must adopt tougher sanctions against Russia or the West will have "no chance for credible ultimatums" to the Kremlin regarding a ceasefire and peace negotiations in the future, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said in Brussels on Monday ahead of the EU Foreign Affairs Council's meeting.
"If we don't do it right now, there'll be no chance for credible ultimatums in the future, and it would mean we missed the great opportunity to achieve a ceasefire and then proceed with peace talks. Because now is the time to do it," he told reporters in the Belgian capital.
Budrys noted that it has been 104 days since Ukraine agreed to a ceasefire and 44 days since Western leaders gave Russian President Vladimir Putin an ultimatum to accept it or face tougher sanctions.
"As of today, we don't have a result. So now we have to move forward and agree on the 18th package with energy, with additional (shadow) vessels included, and also with Nord Stream 1 and 2," he said.
Speaking about sanctions against Belarus, the minister cautioned against interpreting the weekend release of 14 political prisoners as "a real intent to change the situation."
Over 1,000 political prisoners remain behind bars in Belarus, and in the past six months, the regime in Minsk has jailed more people for political reasons than it has released, he said.
"We see no reason to lift sanctions on Belarus. On the contrary, we have to align them with those imposed on Russia," Budrys said.
"So we see no grounds and no reasons now to lift the sanctions on Belarus. On the contrary, we have to synchronize them with the ones applied to Russia," Budrys said.
Among those released in Belarus on Saturday was Siarhei Tsikhanouski, a leading opposition figure. His wife, Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, who lives in Lithuania and stepped in as opposition leader following his imprisonment, said the United States helped secure his release and thanked US President Donald Trump.
Tsikhanouski, 46, had spent more than five years in prison.
Monday's meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC) is expected to focus on Iran and the situation in the Middle East following US strikes on Tehran's nuclear facilities over the weekend.
Israel launched airstrikes on Iran more than a week ago, saying that its archenemy was close to developing a nuclear weapon.
On the eve of the FAC meeting, Budrys said he would call for applying the US approach of "peace through strength" to Ukraine as well, since it is "producing results in Iran."
By Vilmantas Venckūnas
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EU Commission approves Lithuania’s request to reallocate EUR 154 mln in RRF funds
VILNIUS, Jun 23, BNS – The European Commission has approved Lithuania's request to reallocate nearly 154 million euros from the European Union (EU) Recovery and Resilience Facility’s (RRF) funds allocated to the country, the Finance Ministry reported on Friday.
“These changes will allow for better management of risks to the implementation of the NGL (New Generation Lithuania) plan and for ensuring that the responsible ministries are able to implement the planned investments and reforms in time by the end of the eligibility period of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) in August 2026,” the ministry said in a press release.
According to the ministry, the need to modify the NGL plan arose due to insufficient demand for certain measures, changed alternatives to implementing measures, increased costs, and other circumstances that have made it impossible to fulfill the planned milestones on time or in full.
Early in May, the government updated the reallocation of 74 million euros from the RRF plan for Lithuania, which was approved by the previous Cabinet in November last year.
Some 38.55 million euros was then requested for energy storage facilities, 74.68 million euros for bicycle and pedestrian paths, 38.58 million euros for railway electrification, and another 2 million euros for the purchase of forest land for environmental protection.
These funds had previously been earmarked for the purchase of low-emission vehicles, electric vehicle charging stations and alternative fuel stations, as well as for the expansion of greenhouse gas absorption capacity.
The Finance Ministry then also proposed modifying 70 RRF milestones, four of which were proposed to be abolished, and refining three reform milestones relating to the implementation of the reform of interurban transport, amendments to the legislation on minimum income protection and amendments to the Law on Unemployment Social Insurance.
A total of 3.849 billion euros is earmarked from the RRF for Lithuania to implement the NGL plan, and the funds are paid to Lithuania by the European Commission not for project expenses incurred, but in accordance with the milestones committed to be achieved. The plan consists of a total of 218 milestones covering two main areas: the implementation of reforms and investment projects.
According to the Finance Ministry, by June 1, 100 milestones have been achieved, NGL invitations to apply for 3.838 billion euros (99.7 percent of the allocated funds) have been announced, contracts worth 3.578 billion euros (93 percent of the allocated funds) have been signed, and 1.285 billion euros (33 percent of the allocated funds) has been paid out.
The updated NGL plan also allows for the submission of further payment requests to the European Commission for the results achieved.
Lithuania has so far submitted three payment requests to the European Commission.
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Ex-Lithuanian FM Landsbergis to receive Global Economy Prize
VILNIUS, Jun 23, BNS – Former Lithuanian Foreign Minister Gabrielius Landsbergis will receive the prestigious Global Economy Prize in Germany on Monday.
According to the jury of the Global Economy Prize, Landsbergis “is an extremely far-sighted foreign policy strategist… and, as Foreign Minister of Lithuania, he was an early advocate of responding proactively to Russia's invasion of Ukraine with a policy of deterrence and of taking all measures necessary to help Ukraine achieve victory”.
The jury also said that Landsbergis is “an outstanding analyst of geopolitical issues and, thanks to his foresight and determined analysis, he quickly helped Lithuania to become a highly respected voice in NATO”.
The annual Global Economy Prize is presented by the Kiel Institute for the World Economy to influential political, scientific and business personalities in recognition of their outstanding contribution to sustainable wellbeing, combining economic efficiency with social justice and environmental sustainability, and promoting dialogue between politicians, scientists and business people.
This year's motto is “Courage for Change”, and the award aims to highlight the global economy's challenges across national borders.
Former Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaite was awarded the Global Economy Prize back in 2022.
The Global Economy Prize has been awarded annually since 2005. The list of its winners includes Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum (WEF), Goran Persson, former prime minister of Sweden, Robert Shiller, American economist, Nobel prizewinner, and best-selling author, Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland, and Mario Monti¸ former prime minister of Italy.
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Lithuania proposes 6-point plan to EU on how to deal with Georgia – FM
VILNIUS, Jun 23, BNS – Lithuania has put forward a six-point plan to the European Union (EU) on how to deal with Georgia, whose government actions the West views as violations of human rights and democratic principles.
"We are proposing six points on how to proceed with Georgia, as the humanitarian situation is deteriorating in Georgia, and this is the right time now to do it," Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys told reporters in Brussels ahead of Monday's meeting of the EU Foreign Affairs Council (FAC).
"We have already circulated our suggestions and our proposals, and I will discuss them with my colleagues first. From additional support to civil society to revision of the visa regime that we have with Georgia," he said.
Lithuania's top diplomat did not provide journalists with any further details of the plan.
Georgia has been in political turmoil since the disputed parliamentary elections in October, which sparked mass protests.
Protesters accuse the government of drifting toward authoritarianism and drawing the country closer to Russia's sphere of influence, but the ruling Georgian Dream party denies this.
Tensions escalated in November when Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze announced that Georgia was suspending EU membership talks until 2028.
Because of Georgia's shift in political direction, Lithuania reinstated the visa regime for Georgian diplomats this spring.
The EU Council granted member states the right to review the visa regime with Tbilisi after suspending part of the visa-free agreement with Georgia.
However, Georgians holding ordinary passports traveling on short trips to EU countries continue to enjoy visa-free travel.
The visa facilitation agreement between the EU and Georgia has been in effect since March 2011.
Kobakhidze said in late May that Lithuania's Foreign Ministry does not really exist and is just a typical "deep state" agency.
The prime minister made these remarks after Budrys' interview with Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty. The Lithuanian foreign minister, asked about Georgia, said the EU has repeatedly missed chances to send a stronger message to the South Caucasus country's leadership about the path it has chosen.
According to Budrys, Lithuania's position is that the best way out of the current situation is to hold new parliamentary elections and repeal all laws restricting the political opposition and NGOs.
Kobakhidze is banned from entering Lithuania, as he is among more than 100 politicians sanctioned by the Baltic states for "severe and systematic violations of human rights and fundamental freedoms, as well as repression against the people of Georgia."
By Vilmantas Venckūnas
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Lithuania’s Supreme Court to examine Gorbachev's responsibility for January 13 events
VILNIUS, Jun 23, BNS – The Supreme Court of Lithuania will examine the responsibility of former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev for the January 13 events, the 15min news portal reported on Monday.
According to the portal, the relatives of people who died in the Soviet army's crackdown on unarmed civilians in Vilnius in January 1991 are seeking to have Gorbachev, who died in 2022, recognized as responsible for failing to take steps to prevent crimes committed by the army when he, as commander-in-chief of the Soviet Armed Forces, had control of the military on January 11-13, 1991.
They also want the former Soviet leader’s successors to be held liable for compensation for non-pecuniary damage if he were proven guilty of murders.
Previously, the lawsuits seeking compensation for non-pecuniary damage were dismissed by the Vilnius District Court and the Vilnius Regional Court.
Meanwhile, the Supreme Court has decided that the case should be reopened and referred to an expanded panel of seven judges of the Civil Division.
According to the 15min portal, this decision was based on the fact that the practice related to the inheritance of obligations to compensate for non-pecuniary damage is not well established in Lithuanian courts.
Gorbachev had a daughter and two granddaughters.
The Soviet Union used military force in its attempt to remove the legitimate government of Lithuania which declared independence on March 11, 1990.
Fourteen civilians were killed and hundreds more were injured when the Soviet troops stormed the TV Tower and the Radio and Television Committee building in Vilnius in the early hours of January 13, 1991.
Prosecutors investigating the January 13 case refused to examine Gorbachev's responsibility for the events of January 13 or to question him.
In 2017, Vilnius Regional Court sent a summons to Gorbachev to question him as a special witness in the mass trial, but Russia refused to serve it.
A total of 67 former Soviet officials and military officers, including former Soviet Defense Minister Dmitry Yazov, who died in 2020, have been convicted of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the January 13 case.
The majority of them were handed prison sentences in absentia as Russia and Belarus refused to extradite them.
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Nobel laureates urge Lithuania, others to reconsider exit from mine ban treaty
VILNIUS, Jun 23, BNS – A hundred Nobel Prize laureates have urged Estonia, Latvia, Poland, Lithuania and Finland to reconsider their decision to withdraw from the Ottawa Convention, which bans anti-personnel landmines.
In a joint statement released last week, the laureates warned that pulling out of the treaty could endanger civilians and weaken long-established legal and humanitarian norms.
"These deadly weapons have effects that are far more harmful than any war benefit," they said.
The laureates noted that the 1997 Ottawa Convention "has made a significant and positive difference in reducing the casualties and suffering caused by anti-personnel mines."
"Yet the actions of two countries that have not prohibited these weapons—Russia and the United States – are undermining these norms and putting civilians at risk," they said.
The joint statement, shared by the International Campaign to Ban Landmines (ICBL) and the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC), was signed by 19 Nobel Peace Prize winners, 26 laureates in medicine, 24 in physics, 21 in chemistry, and five each in economics and literature.
These include the Dalai Lama, American landmine campaigner Jody Williams, Liberian peace activist Leymah Gbowee, and writers John M. Coetzee, Patrick Modiano and Orhan Pamuk, as well as former Novaya Gazeta editor Dmitry Muratov and former Polish president Lech Walesa.
The statement was drafted by Williams, who was awarded the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize alongside the ICBL for her work to ban and eliminate anti-personnel mines.
In March, the defense ministers of Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and Poland issued a joint statement calling on their countries to exit the Ottawa Convention. They were later joined by Finland.
Leaving the treaty would allow them to acquire, produce, stockpile, use and transfer anti-personnel mines.
All five countries have already launched the necessary procedures to leave the convention. The Lithuanian parliament gave its final approval in May.
Earlier this year, Lithuania formally exited the international convention banning the acquisition, use and production of cluster munitions.
"We deeply regret Lithuania's withdrawal from the Convention on Cluster Munitions in March," the Nobel laureates said in their statement.
A country's withdrawal from the convention takes effect six months after it submits its formal notice to the United Nations secretary-general.
In a statement released on June 16, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said he was "gravely concerned by recent announcements and steps taken by several member states to withdraw from the Anti-Personnel Mine Ban Convention."
"These announcements are particularly troubling, as it risks weakening civilian protection and undermining two decades of a normative framework that has saved countless lives," he said.
The UN chief added that he intends to launch "a global campaign to uphold the norms of humanitarian disarmament, accelerate mine action as an enabler of human rights and sustainable development, and drive forward the vision of a mine-free world."
All European Union member states had signed the convention, while India, the United States, China, Pakistan and Russia have not joined it.
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Lithuania's Special Investigation Service rules out separate probe into loan to PM’s co
VILNIUS, Jun 23, BNS – Lithuania's Special Investigation Service (SIS) will not launch a separate investigation into a soft loan received by Garnis, a company co-owned by Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, from the national development bank ILTE when he was already in office.
“Based on a decision by the European Prosecutor, an SIS officer has now been included in a pre-trial investigation being conducted by the FCIS (Financial Crime Investigation Service). The FCIS has launched a pre-trial investigation into the soft loan received from the national development bank ILTE. The European Prosecutor has decided to include an SIS officer in this investigation,” SIS spokeswoman Dovile Andrijauskaite told the LRT radio on Monday
Earlier this month, the FCIS launched a pre-trial investigation into the loan received by Garnis. The service then said that the probe concerned possible credit fraud.
"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," the FCIS said at the time.
Moreover, the Chief Official Ethics Commission is investigating whether Paluckas confused public and private interests when the prime minister made decisions related to ILTE after Garnis received a soft 200,000-euro loan from the national development bank.
In addition, Garnis is also under scrutiny by the State Tax Inspectorate.
Meanwhile, ILTE claimed that the loan to Garnis followed the required procedures and that its internal review had not found any significant shortcomings.
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 also owns 51 percent of another company, Emus, which would not have qualified for a loan from ILTE 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.
The prime minister denies any conflict of interest and says he is not involved in his companies' day-to-day operations.
By Vilmantas Venckūnas
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NATO's 5 pct defense spending deal gives no exceptions to any ally – Lithuanian FM
VILNIUS, Jun 23, BNS – As Spain claims it will not be required to raise defense spending to five percent of its gross domestic product (GDP), Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said on Monday that NATO's deal, set to be unveiled at this week's summit in The Hague, includes no exceptions for any allies.
"The NATO decision is ready and there are no exemptions for any single state or group of states. The principles of what defense spending means and what it's linked to are set out," Budrys said in a video comment from Brussels.
Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said over the weekend that he had secured a deal allowing Spain to "meet its commitments to the Atlantic Alliance without increasing defense spending to five percent of GDP."
"There is no separate (arrangement for any) state, even if someone wants to read something into it," the Lithuanian foreign minister said.
Under the deal greenlit by NATO's 32 nations on Sunday, allies promise to reach 3.5 percent of GDP on core military needs over the next decade and spend another 1.5 percent on "defense-related" expenditures such as infrastructure and cybersecurity.
Budrys said the increased spending is tied to Russia's aggressive policies, the threats it poses, and NATO's goal of building the capabilities needed to maintain credible deterrence and defense.
Multiple diplomats at NATO said that all 32 members signed off on the agreement and that no special exception was granted to Spain.
One diplomat, speaking to AFP on condition of anonymity, said that allies always "have the sovereign right to determine how they'll deliver on their commitments."
The pledge to boost defense spending is expected to reassure US President Donald Trump, who has threatened not to defend allies that spend too little on their own militaries, and help NATO build up the forces it needs to deter Russia.
In 2024, Spain allocated the smallest share of GDP to defense among all NATO members, drawing sharp criticism from Trump.
By Dominykas Biržietis
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Lithuanian defmin says NATO declaration includes no exemptions on defense spending
VILNIUS, Jun 23, BNS – Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene said on Monday that she sees no exemptions for any country in the NATO summit declaration when it comes to increased defense funding.
"I don't see any exemptions in the text," Sakaliene told reporters at Vilnius Airport.
Her comments followed reports that NATO allies had agreed to raise defense spending to five percent of gross domestic product (GDP), with an exception for Spain, which does not plan to increase its security budget quickly.
Several diplomats said Sunday that under the deal, expected to be announced at the NATO summit in The Hague, allies pledge to allocate 3.5 percent of GDP to core military needs and an additional 1.5 percent to broader security-related expenses over the next decade.
"It looks like there'll be agreement (on five percent of GDP for defense), but I'd prefer to wait until everything has actually happened and then confirm the outcome," Sakaliene said.
"It's critically important that the NATO alliance sends a single, unified strategic message that significant and rapid defense spending is seen as a priority," she added.
However, the minister said NATO members differ on the timeline for reaching that spending level.
"Lithuania believes 2030 is the latest deadline to achieve this. Other countries have different views, but we'll continue to firmly state our arguments," she said.
Diplomats said all 32 NATO members approved the spending deal and that no exemptions were granted to Spain. However, minutes after those statements, Spain itself disputed the claim.
Last week, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said a NATO target of five percent of GDP for defense would be unrealistic for Spain. He said each member must invest different amounts to meet their military goals, with Spain's military calculating that 2.1 percent would be sufficient.
On Sunday, Sanchez confirmed Spain had reached an agreement with NATO under which it would not be required to meet the five percent threshold.
The NATO summit in The Hague, where the agreement is expected to be formally adopted in the summit declaration, will take place on Tuesday and Wednesday.
By Augustas Stankevičius, Vilmantas Venckūnas
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Iran-Russia dialogue increases need to deepen transatlantic positions – Lithuanian FM
VILNIUS, Jun 23, BNS – The dialogue between Tehran and Moscow on the latter’s possible support to response to strikes against Iran increases the need to strengthen transatlantic ties, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys has said.
“It would be very, very bad news if Russia were to support a possible future response by Iran to these strikes in the form of attacks against Israeli, US, or European targets in the Middle East,” the foreign minister said in a video comment from Brussels.
He stressed that such Russia’s involvement would “once again” worsen the developing relations between the United States and Russia, and saw an opportunity to strengthen Europe’s transatlantic dialogue.
“Looking at the opportunities, there are possibilities for us to return to transatlantic dialogue, sit down with the Americans, and work out both tracks from the positions of strength that were achieved in Iran. And where we still lack positions of strength, to achieve results, at a minimum, a truce in Ukraine,” Budrys said.
“All of Russia's attempts to keep Iran, Iran's attempts to draw Russia closer, give us more reasons to deepen transatlantic cooperation,” the minister added.
Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi held talks with key ally Vladimir Putin on Monday, 48 hours after a major US attack on Iran's key nuclear facilities.
Landing in Moscow on Sunday evening ahead of the meeting, Araghchi said the talks with Putin would be of "great importance," Russian state media reported.
Moscow is a crucial backer of Tehran, but has not swung forcefully behind its partner since Israel launched a wave of attacks on June 13, strikes that triggered Iran to respond with missiles and drones.
Even though Russia condemned the Israeli and US strikes, it has not offered military help and has downplayed its obligations under a sweeping strategic partnership agreement signed with Tehran just months ago.
Last weekend, the United States carried out massive air strikes that Washington said had destroyed Tehran's nuclear program, though some officials cautioned that the extent of the damage was unclear.
By Dominykas Biržietis
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MP proposes recognizing 1941 independence declaration as legal act of Lithuanian state
VILNIUS, Jun 23, BNS – MP Vytautas Sinica proposes that the Declaration of the Restoration of Independence issued by Lithuania's Provisional Government in 1941 be formally recognized as a legal act of the state.
Sinica argues that the June Uprising deserves recognition alongside other struggles for freedom and independence.
"In 2000, the Seimas granted (the declaration) legal status, elevating it to the appropriate official status in our historical policy and in the hierarchy of our statehood's foundations, but soon stepped back from its decision, and the issue has remained untouched ever since," he told a news conference.
Sinica said he will soon register a draft law to that effect, noting that the June Uprising reflected the nation's will to restore its statehood.
According to the MP, the mass killings of Jews in Lithuania began because of the Nazi occupation and occurred despite the Provisional Government's calls not to take repressive measures against the Jewish population.
The bill stresses that responsibility for the Holocaust in Lithuania lies not only with the occupying regime but also with individual Lithuanian citizens who collaborated with it. However, it states, an occupied nation cannot be held accountable for crimes committed by an occupying regime on its territory with the help of local collaborators.
The proposal urges the government and other state institutions to commemorate the June Uprising comprehensively and calls on academic institutions to conduct consistent and systematic research into the period.
According to Sinica, this is particularly important given the Kremlin's narrative about the uprising and its use in information warfare. He said a great deal of false information about the uprising and the Provisional Government is being spread in the United States.
"Attempts to portray the June Uprising as a Nazi or pro-Nazi operation, rather than a free nation's bid for independence, have always been central to the Soviet, and now Russian, historical narrative about Lithuania," the MP said.
"It's quite clear that if you discredit the uprising as illegal, criminal or unworthy of remembrance and respect, this undermines the entire narrative of resistance. That's exactly what the Kremlin has always aimed to do, arguing that there was no occupation, that Lithuania joined the Soviet Union of its own free will and therefore has no right to complain," he added.
According to Sinica, although the Provisional Government had no real power, failed to achieve its goals and was soon disbanded, it succeeded in "showing the whole world and ourselves as a nation that Lithuania in no way joined the Soviet Union of its own free will."
The MP stressed that it is wrong to link the Holocaust in Lithuania to the June Uprising.
"There's no doubt that mass killings of Jews took place in Lithuania. There's no doubt that this was a tragedy and a profound loss for our state. It's also indisputable that some Lithuanian citizens, ethnic Lithuanians, and some participants in the uprising were involved. However, the fact that certain individuals among the uprising's participants engaged in criminal acts during the occupation period doesn't in any way mean that the Provisional Government or the uprising's leadership encouraged or condoned this," he said.
"On the contrary, it's clearly documented that the Provisional Government urged people not to engage in repressions against Jews, condemned such actions, and did not approve of them in any form. That's why an essential principle of our historical policy should be the clear distinction that, although the Holocaust and resistance to Soviet occupation took place at the same time in Lithuania, they were not causally linked," he added.
Sinica told reporters that this past spring, the current government received an opinion from the Genocide and Resistance Research Center of Lithuania (GRRCL) stating that the June 23, 1941 declaration should not be recognized as a legal act of the state.
According to the center, the uprising did not declare the establishment of a democratic system, public statements by its initiators suggest anti-Semitism, and the declaration itself was not prepared by legal experts as a legal document.
The June Uprising was an armed attempt led by the Lithuanian Activist Front (LAF) to restore Lithuania's independence. It began after Nazi Germany invaded the Soviet Union, with the hope that Berlin would help re-establish an independent Lithuanian state.
On June 23, 1941, during the uprising, the restoration of Lithuanian statehood was declared and the Provisional Government was formed. However, the goal remained unachieved as Nazi Germany imposed its own occupation regime.
The uprising was largely spontaneous, resulting in chaos and incidents of looting.
Soon after the uprising began, more than 50 Jews were publicly tortured and killed in the Lietukis garage courtyard in Kaunas, following several days of pogroms in the city.
One of the most prominent LAF figures behind the uprising was Kazys Skirpa, whose legacy remains highly controversial among historians and the public.
On June 23, 2024, members of the National Alliance hung – without permission – a memorial plaque to Skirpa on the former KGB building on Gediminas Avenue in Vilnius.
According to Sinica, legal proceedings over the matter are still ongoing.
In its report, the Genocide and Resistance Research Center described Skirpa as "a Lithuanian patriot who devoted great effort to the creation of an independent state and to organizing resistance against the Soviet occupation." However, it also noted that "there were manifestations of anti-Semitism" in his activities in 1940–1941.
The GRRCL said that under Skirpa's leadership, the LAF elevated antisemitism to a political level, which "may have encouraged some Lithuanians to get involved in the Holocaust." The LAF called for Jews to be expelled from Lithuania, although, according to the center, it was unaware of Nazi plans to carry out the Holocaust.
By Jūratė Skėrytė
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Lithuania to work out new security measures for Russian passengers’ transit by train
VILNIUS, Jun 23, BNS – Following the escape of a Russian citizen from the Adler-Kaliningrad transit train, Lithuania will renew security measures to prevent such incidents, the Interior Ministry said on Monday.
Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic has already set up an inter-institutional working group to work out an updated response plan for possible incidents while making sure the Kaliningrad Special Transit Scheme is secure.
According to the minister, it is necessary to fundamentally review the security measures applied in legislation and in practice during the transit of passengers to and from the Kaliningrad region in order to completely prevent any possible incidents in the future, such as escapes, provocations, or diversionary attacks.
“The latest incident, where a Russian citizen left the train in transit, shows that the response algorithm is not working properly,” Kondratovic said.
In addition, the changed geopolitical situation in the region and increasingly frequent Russian hybrid operations, according to him, encourage new solutions to ensure the security of the Special Transit Scheme.
Public security services have already prepared a set of new proposals for the inter-institutional working group on how to strengthen the security of the Special Transit Scheme.
It is proposed to team up with the Lithuanian railway operator Lietuvos Gelezinkeliai (Lithuanian Railways) for exploring the technical possibilities for the police to receive real-time signals about open doors on moving trains. In such cases, police officers would be able to determine the exact location of the incident and respond immediately.
The installation of additional video surveillance and other detection devices on the locomotive to monitor the entire train will also be considered.
One of the proposals is to review the liability for leaving a train in transit through the Lithuanian territory.
Currently, transit to and from the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad is carried out in accordance with the existing agreement between the European Union and Russia and the obligations set out therein.
Last week, the Kybartai railway border checkpoint received a report that a Russian citizen born in 2004 had left the moving Adler–Kaliningrad train.
Police said about 25 minutes before the train was due to reach the Kybartai railway station, when the train was moving between Pilviskiai and Kybartai, an attendant noticed an open train door, through which the person could have jumped off.
The person who left the transit train was later identified as Russian citizen Danil Mukhametov.
Lithuanian officials have not yet been able to find the man.
According to border guards, a similar incident occurred in 2020, when an Uzbek man jumped off a train near Vilnius and died in an accident.
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Twenty-six species, including 4 relevant to Lithuania, added to EU's invasive species list
VILNIUS, Jun 23, BNS – The European Commission on Friday approved the addition of 26 new species, including four species relevant to Lithuania, to the European Union (EU) list of invasive species, the Environment Ministry reported on Monday.
According to the ministry, this decision aims to manage the damage caused by invasive species to biodiversity, human health, and the economy.
In particular, Japanese and giant knotweed, which grow in Lithuania, as well as the sika deer and the American mink, which are widespread in the country, were added to the list of invasive species.
The American mink is a predatory mammal that feeds on a variety of small animals, including birds, fish, amphibians and rodents.
According to the Environment Ministry, the spread of the American mink in the wild has led to the extinction of the European mink, a native species in Lithuania.
According to the ministry's data, there were around 9,000 American minks in Lithuania in 2007-2008, and as of 1 January this year, almost 731,000 of them were kept in fur farms.
Sika deer that have escaped from their enclosures and have become naturalized also threaten the gene pool of the local population of red deer.
According to the ministry, Japanese and giant knotweed are crowding out almost all native plants and destroying plant communities.
Their roots damage infrastructure, undermining building foundations, walls, roads, dams, pipelines, and drainage systems.
According to the ministry, species included in the EU list of invasive species will be subject to provisions prohibiting their intentional introduction, keeping, breeding/propagation, and distribution.
Species included in the EU list of invasive species may only be used with a permit for scientific research or for the planned keeping of invasive species for farming or commercial purposes.
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NATO jets in Baltics scrambled seven times over Russian aircraft last week
VILNIUS, Jun 23, BNS – NATO fighter jets policing Baltic airspace were scrambled seven times last week to identify and escort Russian planes violating flight rules in international airspace over the Baltic Sea, Lithuania's Defense Ministry said on Monday.
On June 16, NATO jets took off to escort Russia’s SU-24MR reconnaissance plane and a SU-30SM fighter jet, and on June 17 – a TU-142 maritime reconnaissance plane and two SU-30 fighter jets.
On June 18, they were scrambled to identify a TU-214 passenger plane, two SU-27 fighter jets, and two SUs-30.
On June 19, the Alliance’s jets took off to patrol international airspace over the Baltic Sea, and on June 20, they escorted a Russian reconnaissance plane IL-20.
Most of the Russian aircraft were flying with their onboard transponders off, without flight plans and sometimes maintained radio contact with the regional traffic control center, sometimes not.
The NATO Baltic air policing mission is carried out from Lithuania and Estonia.
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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 25, 2025
VILNIUS, Jun 23, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 25, 2025:
PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to attend the NATO Summit in The Hague.
THE CABINET to hold its regular meeting at 11.30 a.m.
DEFENSE MINISTER Dovile Sakaliene to attend the NATO Summit and sideline events in The Hague.
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Vilnius University moves down in global ranking, but outperforms other Lithuanian schools
VILNIUS, Jun 23, BNS – Vilnius University (VU) has gone down by 7 positions to rank 446th in the QS World University Rankings 2026.
Despite that, VU has retained its leading position among Lithuania’s higher education institutions that have made it to the global rankings. Last year, Vilnius University ranked 439th, and was 473rd the year before.
Meanwhile, Kaunas University of Technology (KTU) rose slightly in the rankings and now shares second place with Vytautas Magnus University (VDU) among the Lithuanian higher education institutions featured in the rankings.
Overall, five Lithuania’s higher education institutions have made it to the latest global university rankings.
KTU is now ranked among the top 741-750 universities in the world, up from 751-760 last year, while VDU has achieved the same ranking of 741-750, unchanged from the year before.
Vilnius Gediminas Technical University and Mykolas Romeris University have maintained the same positions and are ranked 851-900 and 1001-1200, respectively.
The annual QS World University Rankings assess higher education institutions based on the following eight criteria: academic reputation, employer reputation, citations per faculty, faculty student ratio, international faculty ratio, international research network, international students ratio, and sustainability.
This year's QS rankings evaluated 8,467 higher education institutions, but only 1,501 were included in the rankings. Of these, 112 universities were ranked for the first time.
As usual, the top-ranked universities are from the US and the UK: the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Imperial College London, Stanford University, Oxford University, Harvard University, and Cambridge University.
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