LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 18, 2025
2. Lithuania turns away 1 irregular migrant on border with Belarus
3. Evacuated Lithuanians' flight from Jordan delayed due to plane repairs – official
4. Lithuania's State Defense Council to discuss military infrastructure, security situation
5. EU defense firms to get building permit decisions within 60 days – Kubilius
6. Evacuated Lithuanians' flight delayed in Jordan due to late flight clearance after repairs
7. Ukraine won't be invited to join NATO in The Hague – Lithuanian FM
8. Lithuanian FM vows to review communication after Israel evacuation criticism
9. Lithuania's energy supply unaffected by Israel-Iran conflict – market players 
10. More Lithuanian language lessons for minority primary schools in Vilnius from 2026
11. Lithuanian Airports to assess Latvia's Air Baltic share offer – PM  (corrects)
12. Lithuanian president expects MPs to take up new military training area law this fall
13. Lithuania plans to acquire Brazilian military transport aircraft (expands)
14. This year's Zapad exercise will be some three times smaller than in 2021 – Nauseda
15. Ukraine's membership prospects must be mentioned at NATO summit – Nauseda
16. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, June 19, 2025

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 18, 2025

VILNIUS, Jun 18, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 18, 2025:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to chair a meeting of the State Defense Council at 2 p.m.; to provide comment to the press with Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene at 4 p.m.

PRIME MINISTER Gintautas Paluckas to attend a meeting of the State Defense Council at 2 p.m.;

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Lithuania turns away 1 irregular migrant on border with Belarus

VILNIUS, Jun 18, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have turned away one migrant attempting to cross into the country from Belarus illegally over the past 24 hours, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Wednesday morning.

Latvia reported 47 illegal border crossing attempts on Tuesday. Poland denied entry to 236 irregular migrants on Monday, according to the latest available information.

Lithuania has barred 867 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.

 

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Evacuated Lithuanians' flight from Jordan delayed due to plane repairs – official

VILNIUS, Jun 18, BNS – The flight of Lithuanian citizens evacuated from Israel has been delayed in Jordan due to minor repairs on the chartered aircraft, Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Center (NCMC), said on Wednesday morning.

"The delay is due to minor repairs on the aircraft, specifically the replacement of a component of the front windshield," he told the public broadcaster LRT. 

The plane is now expected to depart at 12:30 p.m.

"The crew is already on site, which is worth noting, because crew availability is often the biggest challenge in situations like this," the official added.

This is the second time the flight to Vilnius has been postponed.

The flight is operated by Chapman Freeborn, a charter company owned by the aviation business group Avia Solutions Group, controlled by businessman Gediminas Ziemelis.

Around 100 people, mostly Lithuanian citizens, are expected to board the flight to Vilnius.

The passengers crossed the Israeli–Jordanian border on Tuesday afternoon. They were forced to leave Israel due to the military conflict between the Jewish state and Iran, which has seen the two countries exchange fire for nearly a week.

The evacuation flight from Jordan to Lithuania is expected to cost around 200,000 euros. Three-quarters of the cost is expected to be covered by the European Union through the Civil Protection Mechanism, with the remainder paid by the Lithuanian government.

Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said on Tuesday that Lithuanian citizens would not be required to pay for the evacuation.

Meanwhile, Lithuania's ambassador to Israel, Audrius Bruzga, said that as the situation in the region worsens, more Lithuanians may want to leave Israel, but no additional evacuation flights are planned for now.

"If we see a larger number of people wanting to leave, other decisions will likely be made. But new options are emerging. (...) The borders are open, and people can make their own way to Jordan or Egypt. Of course, that might take longer," the diplomat told the public broadcaster.

"There's probably no need for a full-scale evacuation for now," he added.

 

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Lithuania's State Defense Council to discuss military infrastructure, security situation

VILNIUS, Jun 18, BNS – Lithuania's State Defense Council will meet at the Presidential Palace on Wednesday to discuss regional security and the development of military infrastructure, Frederikas Jansonas, an adviser to President Gitanas Nauseda, told BNS.

The meeting comes a week before the NATO summit in The Hague.

With the United States pressing allies to spend 5 percent of GDP on defense, diplomats say NATO countries will seek a deal in The Hague to split the target: 3.5 percent of GDP for "hard" military spending and another 1.5 percent for related needs.

Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene has told BNS that Lithuania is in favor of allocating the full 5 percent of GDP to hard defense. 

Lithuania plans to raise its defense spending to 5.25 percent of GDP next year, up from over 4 percent this year.

The president-chaired council last met in April, when it agreed to aim for about 20,000 military personnel in the Lithuanian Armed Forces by 2038. 

 

 

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EU defense firms to get building permit decisions within 60 days – Kubilius

VILNIUS, Jun 18, BNS – A 60-day deadline for reviewing requests for building permits from defense industry companies will be set across the European Union, European Commissioner for Defense and Space Andrius Kubilius said on Tuesday. 

"A uniform rule is set for all EU countries: once a defense industry company applies for a building permit, a decision – whether approval or denial – must be issued within 60 days," Kubilius told reporters while presenting the European Commission's Defense Readiness Omnibus, a package of simplification measures for defense. 

“If there's no response, neither yes nor no, that silence will be understood as consent for the construction to go ahead," he added.

Kubilius said this change will require intense effort from governments and other permit-issuing authorities, so the proposal also includes establishing a single point of contact in each country.

"Another key proposal is that every country creates a single point of contact," the Lithuanian commissioner said.

"This is to ensure that the defense industry knows where to apply and isn't sent from one office to another. There should be one place staffed by state-appointed officials who handle all permit issues within those 60 days," he explained.

Kubilius noted that any disputes arising from the shortened permit deadline should be prioritized and handled under an accelerated procedure in courts.

Access to bank financing for defense companies is also expected to improve. 

"Until now, there have been various odd provisions that treated the defense industry as not meeting so-called ESG (environmental, social and governance) criteria. Because of this, the defense industry, especially smaller companies, often faced reluctance from banks," Kubilius said.

"Now we clearly state that the defense industry meets such criteria and its activities actually bring much benefit to sustainability if peace is guaranteed," he added.

The Commission said in a press release that these changes "aim to improve Europe's ability to act quickly, coordinate more effectively, and ensure its defense industry can deliver at speed and scale".

Europe is ramping up its defense efforts in the wake of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 and amid calls from US President Donald Trump for Europe to take greater responsibility for its own security.

The Commission's White Paper for European Defense-Readiness 2030, unveiled in March, outlines solutions for closing critical capability gaps and building a robust industrial defense base. It proposes ways for member states to increase defense investments, procure defense systems and enhance Europe's defense industry readiness in the long term.

 

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Evacuated Lithuanians' flight delayed in Jordan due to late flight clearance after repairs

VILNIUS, Jun 18, BNS – The flight from Jordan carrying Lithuanians evacuated from Israel was delayed by another three hours after a technical issue was found on the aircraft on Tuesday evening and flight clearance took longer than expected following repairs.

This was confirmed to BNS by Vilma Vaitiekunaite, CEO of Skyllence, the company handling private flights at Vilnius Airport.

Vaitiekunaite said the plane was repaired late Tuesday evening, but approval from the Civil Aviation Administration to carry passengers took longer than expected.

"(The airline) expected to receive clearance much earlier in the morning, but only got it around 6 a.m. Lithuanian time. They were planning to take off for their first flight at that time, because the plane had another passenger flight before ours," she said.

The CEO said the plane is currently scheduled to depart for Vilnius at 4:30 p.m.

Before flying the Lithuanians home, the aircraft must first complete a flight from Amman to Cyprus and then return to Aqaba, Jordan, she said.

Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Center (NCMC), said earlier that the flight of evacuated Lithuanian citizens had been delayed in Jordan due to minor repairs on the chartered aircraft.

"The delay is due to minor repairs on the aircraft, specifically the replacement of a component of the front windshield," he told the public broadcaster LRT. 

The flight is operated by Chapman Freeborn, a charter company owned by the aviation business group Avia Solutions Group, controlled by businessman Gediminas Ziemelis.

Around 100 people, mostly Lithuanian citizens, are expected to board the flight to Vilnius.

The passengers crossed the Israeli–Jordanian border on Tuesday afternoon. They were forced to leave Israel due to the military conflict between the Jewish state and Iran, which has seen the two countries exchange fire for nearly a week.

The evacuation flight from Jordan to Lithuania is expected to cost around 200,000 euros. Three-quarters of the cost is expected to be covered by the European Union through the Civil Protection Mechanism, with the remainder paid by the Lithuanian government.

Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said on Tuesday that Lithuanian citizens would not be required to pay for the evacuation.

 

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Ukraine won't be invited to join NATO in The Hague – Lithuanian FM

VILNIUS, Jun 18, BNS - Ukraine will not receive an invitation to join NATO at next week's NATO summit in The Hague, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys says.

"This issue is certainly not on the NATO agenda and nobody has formulated an expectation that there will be an invitation in The Hague, nor have we heard that from the Ukrainians themselves. There is no such expectation that there will be breakthrough decisions, neither before the Washington summit nor now before the Hague summit, it is not on the agenda," Lithuania's top diplomat told journalists on Wednesday.

He stressed the importance of maintaining the focus on Ukraine at the meeting and stressing that NATO countries and Kyiv are in the same security area.

Speaking ahead of a joint closed session of the Seimas Committees on National Security and Defense and Foreign Affairs to discuss preparations for the NATO summit, Budrys said that Lithuania would emphasize the unity of the Alliance and the importance of the US role in the collective deterrence and defense policy, as well as focus on Ukraine and the issue of Russia's direct threat.

The summit in the Netherlands is being watched by the international community, among other things, for the posture that the Alliance will take on Ukraine's possible NATO membership following the change of the US administration.

In 2008, NATO stated that Ukraine would eventually join the bloc. In 2023, the NATO summit agreed on the wording that an invitation to Ukraine to join would be extended once the member states agreed on it and Kyiv fulfilled the conditions set.

Some political observers say this NATO commitment could change as US President Donald Trump, who took office in January, pressures Ukraine and Russia to negotiate a peace deal, and Moscow raises the issue of Kyiv's NATO membership as a condition for a ceasefire.

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Lithuanian FM vows to review communication after Israel evacuation criticism

VILNIUS, Jun 18, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys says his ministry will review its communication with citizens being evacuated from Israel after some of them criticized the ministry for a lack of information and a chaotic evacuation process.

"We'll have to look into (...) who failed to do what in which situations. When the situation settles a bit, we will certainly do interviews and deconstruct the different situations and evaluate what we needed to do additionally," the minister told reporters on Wednesday.

Budrys says he's pleased that people have been successfully moved to a safe country. They arrived in Jordan from Israel on Tuesday afternoon. Their flight was scheduled on the same day, but was postponed several times, and now they scheduled to fly out of Jordan on Wednesday night.

Vilma Vaitiekunaite, CEO of Skyllence, a company operating private flights at Vilnius Airport, told BNS that this situation was due to the fact that the plane had to undergo repairs, which took longer than planned, and the flight was not cleared in time.

Budrys says he's also been criticized by fellow foreign ministers saying that the evacuation creates uncomfortable situations and pressure as some countries are of the opinion that if there is a possibility to travel and the borders are not closed, citizens should leave Israel on their own.

"Germany, France, Finland, Denmark, the Netherlands have not taken any action to help their own citizens. And that naturally raises the question from those countries whether we are not creating certain tensions here because they then have additional questions," the minister said.

He also points out that Lithuania is not taking steps to move diplomats out of Israel, but if they want to leave, conditions are created for them to do so.

By Paulius Perminas

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Lithuania's energy supply unaffected by Israel-Iran conflict – market players 

VILNIUS, Jun 18, BNS – The conflict between Israel and Iran in the Middle East, a key region for global energy markets, has not disrupted Lithuania's supply of liquefied natural gas (LNG) or oil, according to market participants.

However, experts caution that a prolonged conflict could drive up energy prices, especially if it affects shipments through the Strait of Hormuz, a key route for oil and gas exports from Arab countries.

Mindaugas Navikas, chief commercial officer at KN Energies, Lithuania's state-controlled LNG and energy infrastructure company, said operations at the Klaipeda LNG terminal have not been disrupted, as terminal users have diversified their gas supply sources.

He noted that most of the gas delivered to Klaipeda comes not from the Arabian Peninsula but from the United States and Norway.

Orlen Lietuva, Lithuania's oil import and refining company owned by Poland's energy giant Orlen, also said it sources crude oil from more than one supplier.

Darek Lysko, head of gas trading and operations at electricity and gas supplier Ignitis, said the conflict is unlikely to have a short-term impact on Lithuanian consumers, though global disruptions could push gas prices higher.

He said Lithuania, like the rest of the Baltic states and Europe, purchases natural gas in advance and imports only up to five percent of its LNG directly from the Middle East.

Navikas added that if the military conflict drags on or escalates, the LNG market – particularly in Asia – could face supply disruptions that would lead to price fluctuations, which could also affect Lithuanian consumers.

 

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More Lithuanian language lessons for minority primary schools in Vilnius from 2026

VILNIUS, Jun 18, BNS - The Vilnius City Municipality has set a target for national minority schools to introduce at least six weekly hours of Lithuanian language lessons in primary education from next school year.

"In order to achieve the goals of the education system and basically create a society where both the Lithuanian language is well learned and other exams are passed better, (...) in Vilnius we have decided to set a target of at least six weekly Lithuanian language and literature lessons for national minority schools with primary classes," Vilnius Vice Mayor Vytautas Mitalas told journalists on Wednesday.

In his words, primary school pupils in national minority schools now have four or five Lithuanian language and literature lessons, while in Lithuanian-language schools children have seven or eight.

"The difference is programmed, then it moves to the next year and the next grade. And then, naturally, the command of the Lithuanian language becomes worse and it is more difficult to catch up for those pupils who did not make sufficient progress in the primary grades," Mitalas said.

According to the municipality, the changes were initiated after taking into account the results of the 2020-2024 state matriculation exams for Vilnius pupils.

The principals of national minority schools are now being consulted on this issue and the municipality is ready to provide all the necessary assistance, Mitalas added.

For her part, Vilnius Vice Mayor Donalda Meizelyte says that a bilingual education method was used in five kindergarten groups for a year, and the results show an improved command of the Lithuanian language. The experiment will be continued and its results will be monitored, she added.

By Karolina Ambrazaitytė

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Lithuanian Airports to assess Latvia's Air Baltic share offer – PM  (corrects)

(corrects the headline)

VILNIUS, Jun 18, BNS – Lietuvos Oro Uostai (Lithuanian Airports, LTOU) will assess the Latvian government's proposal to buy a stake in the national airline Air Baltic, Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said on Wednesday.

"The offer needs to be reviewed by a company or institution with the appropriate expertise. LTOU is looking into the proposal and will continue to do so before issuing its conclusion on whether or not it is worth pursuing," he told BNS in a comment.

LTOU spokesman Tadas Vasiliauskas told BNS on Wednesday that the state-owned company had not yet received any formal offer regarding Air Baltic shares.

Transport Minister Eugenijus Sabutis, whose ministry is the sole shareholder of LTOU, told BNS that Lithuania is waiting for an official offer and concrete terms from the Latvian government before making any decision on whether to invest in the airline.

The Latvian Transport Ministry announced on Wednesday that, ahead of Air Baltic's planned initial public offering (IPO) later this year, it will send official offers to potential investors in Lithuania and Estonia – governments and airports – inviting them to take part in the Latvian airline's capital alongside the Lufthansa Group.

Last November, Sabutis, who was a candidate for transport minister at the time, told BNS in an interview that he was ruling out the possibility of Lithuania acquiring a stake in Air Baltic.

Marius Skuodis, Sabutis' predecessor, said in January 2024 that Lithuania was considering buying a stake in the Latvian carrier. At the time, he said that discussions were underway about potential deal terms, including basing some of the airline's planes in Lithuania.

 

 

By Giedrius Gaidamavičius

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Lithuanian president expects MPs to take up new military training area law this fall

VILNIUS, Jun 18, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda expects the parliament to start work on a special law for a new brigade-size military training area during its fall session.

"In order to launch the process quickly, we need a proper legal framework that will let us handle all land‑formation procedures smoothly and in line with the law," Nauseda told reporters after Wednesday's meeting of the State Defense Council.

"That requires a special law on the training area, and I expect the process to start in the fall session and finish quickly," he added.

The president-chaired State Defense Council also tasked the Defense Ministry with submitting proposals in the near future on the creation of the new training area, including a projected timeline.

Nauseda's office said in a press release that the council reviewed progress on setting up infrastructure for military training.

"A new training area suitable for a brigade-size military unit is necessary for exercises involving both Lithuanian and allied troops," it said.

A few months ago, the military identified areas that would be most suitable from a defense perspective for new training grounds.

Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene has told BNS that the Environment Ministry is currently finalizing proposals for realistic locations, taking into account the mix of state and private land as well as other restrictions.

The ministry is expected to present its conclusions on Friday.

"Once we receive those specific options, we hope to be able to visually assess the sites within a few weeks so that we can make a final decision on the location as quickly as possible," Sakaliene said last week.

Lithuania is looking for a site for a new brigade-sized military training area amid the growing presence of allied troops in the country, an increasing number of conscripts and reservists, and new military equipment purchases.

Preliminary information shows the preferred location is in eastern or southern Lithuania so that it would be "as close as possible to the territories of unfriendly states."

Authorities are seeking an area of 20,000 hectares, which would make it the largest training area in Lithuania.

Last fall, the parliament gave the green light to set up new military training areas in the western districts of Taurage and Silale, but these will be smaller and will be used only for maneuvering. 

 

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Lithuania plans to acquire Brazilian military transport aircraft (expands)

VILNIUS, Jun 18, BNS - Lithuania plans to acquire three military transport aircraft made by the Brazilian company Embraer, Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene said on Wednesday after a meeting of the State Defense Council.

"The Defense Ministry will join the negotiations on the acquisition of a new generation of military transport aircraft," she told journalists. "We need to have at least three military transport aircraft, and negotiations would be conducted for such a quantity."

The plan is to acquire Embraer C-390 Millennium aircraft, she added.

These aircraft will complement the Lithuanian Armed Forces' aviation fleet, which consists mainly of several helicopters and three Spartan transport planes. The latter have been in service for more than 15 years.

"The current capabilities are inadequate, and the current situation, where we have to deal with the evacuation of citizens, demonstrates once again why the availability of modern, new-generation military transport aircraft is indispensable for the country," the minister pointed out.

According to Sakaliene, the C-390 aircraft were selected as they meet the operational requirements formulated by the Lithuanian Armed Forces, and also the ecological and economic parameters of the aircraft, and the delivery deadlines have been taken into account.

These aircraft can also perform mid-air refueling, a function that Spartan does not have.

"The need we have expressed is that the situation calls for very quick solutions, and if the negotiations are successful and we can have the first aircraft within three years, (...) that would be a fantastic result," the defense minister said without disclosing the possible acquisition price.

"We won't know the price until the end of the negotiations, and we have only now taken the decision to join the negotiations. The preliminary analysis (...) shows that in terms of price it would be the best option we could get," Sakaliene said.

Right now, Lithuania uses Spartan aircraft for troop and cargo transport, training flights, airborne operations, medical evacuation, transport of VIPs and other special tasks.

President Gitanas Nauseda says he's pleased that the new aircraft will be used by the army and will be used for evacuation operations such as those currently being carried out to transport Lithuanians from Israel.

"The Spartan is an aircraft that has advantages and disadvantages, and probably from 2030 e won't be able to operate it at all the way it is now, so this development is quite natural and timely and we are focusing on such aircraft as the demand for them has been growing geometrically lately," Nauseda said.

According to the Defense Ministry, Portugal and the Netherlands have already acquired C-390 aircraft and are planning to acquire more of them, and Slovakia, Hungary, Austria, the Czech Republic and Sweden also have plans to acquire them.

By Augustas Stankevičius, Vilmantas Venckūnas

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This year's Zapad exercise will be some three times smaller than in 2021 – Nauseda

VILNIUS, Jun 18, BNS – The scale of the upcoming Zapad military exercise this year will be two or three times smaller than it was in 2021, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says.

"“The scale of the exercise itself, for obvious reasons, because of Russia's involvement in the war with Ukraine and the deployment of a large amount of equipment and manpower to the frontline, the exercise will be two or three times smaller in terms of quantitative criteria than it was in 2021,” the president told reporters after a meeting of the State Defense Council on Wednesday.

Although the Zapad exercise, its organization and nature are not exceptional, Lithuania and its allies are prepared for any kind of surprises, the president said.

For her part, Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene said that both national and allied exercises would be held simultaneously in Lithuania.

"We want to make it very clear that intensive and active work with a large number of allies and our troops will take place throughout this period, which greatly simplifies any preparation for possible scenarios in case of any changes," the minister said.

Zapad 2021 was one of the largest Russian-Belarusian exercises in recent years, with around 200,000 troops participating. It was stated at the time that the active phase of Zapad 2021 took place at nine training area in Russia and five areas in Belarus.

The Zapad military exercise is due to take place in September and has been held every two years since 2009, except for in 2023. British intelligence cited Russia's shortage of troops and equipment, as well as the Kremlin's unwillingness to face criticism for holding yet another show of force during the war in Ukraine, as likely reasons for the cancellation. 

Russia has limited ability to attack Lithuania during the upcoming Zapad military exercise, but nobody can guess the actions of hostile states because it is not clear whether they are following logic, the Lithuanian Armed Forces has said. It also indicated that the active phase of the exercise would last for about one week in mid-September, with redeployments and other related actions possible between August and October.

The officially stated objectives are to practice joint defensive and offensive operations, improve cooperation between the armed forces and test troops' readiness for various security scenarios.

However, the drills always raise concerns among officials in neighboring countries about the risk of unintentional incidents.

In practice, the army stressed, the aim of these exercises is to demonstrate power to the West.

As BNS reported earlier, Belarus announced in late May that it would reduce the scale of this exercise with Russia by shortening the list of participating troops and moving them further away from its western borders.

Lithuanian Chief of Defense Raimundas Vaiksnoras has previously said that the Belarusian announcement could be a bluff.

The army has indicated that the official reduction of the number of troops taking part in the Belarusian exercise from 13,000 to 7,000 is not an official reduction. It "can mean something or nothing".

By Paulius Perminas, Vilmantas Venckūnas

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Ukraine's membership prospects must be mentioned at NATO summit – Nauseda

VILNIUS, Jun 18, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says the final declaration of next week's NATO summit in The Hague must mention Ukraine's prospects for NATO membership.

"I believe that the prospect of Ukraine's membership should be mentioned in the summit's communiqué, I will certainly not argue about the specificity of the wording," the president told journalists on Wednesday.

Earlier in the day, Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys said that Ukraine would not be invited to the NATO during the Hague summit, adding, however, that one of Lithuania's tasks is to ensure that Ukraine is mentioned in the joint declaration.

In 2008, NATO stated that Ukraine would eventually join the bloc. In 2023, the NATO summit agreed on the wording that an invitation to Ukraine to join would be extended once the member states agreed on it and Kyiv fulfilled the conditions set.

Ukraine applied to join NATO in September 2022, a few months after the start of Russia's large-scale invasion. The country has not received a formal invitation as the 32 NATO member countries are struggling to reach a consensus on the issue.

The declaration of the 75th NATO Summit that took place in Washington last year states that NATO leaders support Ukraine "on its irreversible path towards full Euro-Atlantic integration, including NATO membership".

Some political observers say this NATO commitment could change as US President Donald Trump, who took office in January, pressures Ukraine and Russia to negotiate a peace deal, and Moscow raises the issue of Kyiv's NATO membership as a condition for a ceasefire.

As BNS reported earlier, Ukraine has also been invited to attend the Hague summit on June 24-25 June.

However, Nauseda says that another aspect of the NATO summit is particularly important to him and that is an agreement on increasing defense spending.

"The fact that we in Lithuania are ready (to increase funding - BNS) (...) is only an effort of our state, and we are all well aware of the fact that we need to all the states come together because the development of the defense industry depends on it, the strength of NATO as a collective defense organization depends on it," the president said.

With the United States pressing allies to allocate 5 percent of their GDP to defense, diplomats say that NATO countries will seek to agree on a commitment split it in two, with defense-only funding rising to 3.5 percent of GDP and a further 1.5 percent of GDP earmarked for related needs.

Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene told BNS earlier that Lithuania is in favor of allocating 5 percent of GDP for defense alone.

Lithuania plans to spend 5.25 percent of GDP on defense next year, up from over 4 percent of GDP this year.

By Vilmantas Venckūnas

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, June 19, 2025

VILNIUS, Jun 19, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, June 19, 2025:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to have a phone call with European Council President Antonio Costa at 3.30 p.m.

SOCIAL SECURITY AND LABOR MINISTER Inga Ruginiene to attend an event at the UK Embassy to mark King Charles III's birthday at 5 p.m.

INTERIOR MINISTER Vladislav Kondratovic to meet with regional ministers responsible for internal security in Tallinn to discuss border security issues.

 

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LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, June 17, 2025
2. Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
3. Lithuanian president, PM to meet for 1st time since launch of company loan probe 
4. Evacuation of Lithuanian citizens from Israel begins in Tel Aviv (media)
5. NATO united in backing Ukraine, but membership pledge may change – Lithuanian diplomat 
6. Lithuania's NATO ambassador backs Israel's decision to strike Iran first
7. Search underway for Russian man who jumped off Kaliningrad train in Lithuania
8. Lithuanians won't need to pay for evacuation from Israel – PM
9. Lithuanian defense ministry initiates reform of service member pensions
10. Lithuanian president convenes State Defense Council
11. Lithuania MPs adopt part of tax changes, to vote on the rest on Thursday (corrects)
12. Lithuanians evacuated from Israel reach Jordanian border
13. Lithuanians evacuated from Israel cross Jordanian border (updates)
14. Russian likely jumped off train in Lithuania as it slowed, motives unclear – minister
15. Excise duty policy is being assessed and reviewed – Lithuanian PM
16. Lithuanian PM says 'seriously considering' transferring company shares after probes
17. Ministries against proposal to postpone Lithuanian language requirement for Ukrainians
18. Lithuanian ruling parties oppose tougher rules on Russians buying property near key sites
19. Lithuanian FM urges EU to make every effort to get Iran to resume nuclear negotiations
20. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 18, 2025
21. Lithuania voices strong protest to Russia over attacks on Ukrainian civilians

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, June 17, 2025

VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Tuesday, June 17, 2025:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to meet with EU ambassadors accredited in Lithuania at 10 a.m.; to meet with PRIME MINISTER Gintautas Paluckas at 1 p.m.; to meet with the chairs of the parliamentary Committees on Foreign Affairs and European Affairs at 2 p.m.

PRIME MINISTER Gintautas Paluckas to attend a commemoration of the 249th anniversary of the United States Independence Day at 4.30 p.m.

SOCIAL SECURITY AND LABOR MINISTER Inga Ruginiene to attend a commemoration of the 249th anniversary of the United States Independence Day at 4.30 p.m.

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Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus

VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – Lithuanian border guards have recorded no attempts to cross into the country from Belarus illegally in the past 24 hours, the State Border Guard Service (SBGS) said on Tuesday morning.

Latvia reported 31 illegal border crossing attempts on Monday. Poland denied entry to 108 irregular migrants on Sunday, according to the latest available information.

Lithuania has barred a total of 866 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 president, PM to meet for 1st time since launch of company loan probe 

VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas is set to visit President Gitanas Nauseda on Tuesday to discuss tax reforms currently under debate in the parliament.

This will be their first meeting since the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FCIS) launched a probe into a soft loan granted by the national development bank ILTE to Garnis, a company partly owned by the prime minister.

Last week, Nauseda told reporters he wanted to discuss the situation with Paluckas and hear his explanations.

The president said any decisions could only follow once the authorities had completed their investigations.

In his state of the nation address to the parliament in early June, Nauseda said, without naming Paluckas, that businesspeople who enter politics should seriously reconsider their continued involvement in business.

"When putting on the mantle of a politician, one should carefully reconsider their involvement in business multiple times. Otherwise, unresolved business-related issues will continually undermine the best initiatives and fuel conflicts rooted in both justified and unjustified suspicions," the president said.

Justinas Argustas, an adviser to Paluckas, told BNS that the two leaders plan to discuss tax reform during Tuesday's meeting.

"The president and the prime minister will go over the main pieces of legislation currently being debated and finalized in the Seimas: the reform of the second-pillar pension system allowing people to withdraw their funds, the scrapping of additional payments by patients in the healthcare system, and tax changes," the adviser said.

The prime minister and the president are also expected to exchange views on other major domestic and foreign policy matters, he said.

 

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Evacuation of Lithuanian citizens from Israel begins in Tel Aviv (media)

VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – The evacuation of Lithuanian citizens from Israel began in Tel Aviv on Tuesday morning, LRT Radio reported.

Lithuanian, Latvian and Estonian citizens are being taken by three buses to Jordan, from where they will later be flown to Vilnius on a civilian aircraft, according to the public broadcaster. 

"We offered assistance to our neighbors as well. (...) There are still some available seats, and we expect the flight to be full," said Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Center.

"We hope that by around noon, or sometime after noon, all passengers will have reached the border checkpoint," he added.

As previously reported by BNS, Lithuanian authorities decided to evacuate citizens on a chartered civilian flight from Jordan, even though a Spartan military transport aircraft had also been deployed to the region.

More than 100 people, mostly Lithuanian citizens, have registered for the evacuation.

Officials have said the distance to the airport is about 350 kilometers, meaning the overland journey could take around four hours. The passengers are expected to depart from Aqaba International Airport in Jordan.

Lithuania has not received any evacuation requests from Iran so far.

 

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NATO united in backing Ukraine, but membership pledge may change – Lithuanian diplomat 

VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – Lithuania's ambassador to NATO, Darius Jauniskis, says he sees unity among the Alliance's member states in supporting Ukraine, but warns that commitments on Kyiv's membership in the bloc may change.

Next week's NATO summit in The Hague is being closely watched by the international community for signs of how the Alliance's stance on Ukraine's potential membership might shift following the change in the United States administration.

"I think that declaration (...) could change. (...) I can't predict what decisions will be made in The Hague next week, but again, speaking about support for Ukraine, I know the Alliance will definitely not back down," Jauniskis told Ziniu Radijas in an interview aired on Tuesday.

The ambassador said there is broad consensus among NATO countries to continue supporting Ukraine.

"I don't think NATO has any plans to step back or suddenly reverse its support for Ukraine. In fact, I think that if the Alliance did that, we would lose any reason to exist as an alliance, because Ukraine is currently one of the main factors underpinning our geopolitics," the diplomat said.

"There must be peace there, and certain decisions must be made," he added.

NATO first declared in 2008 that Ukraine would eventually join the Alliance. At the 2023 summit, NATO leaders said an invitation for Ukraine to join the bloc would be extended once all member states agreed and the country met the conditions.

Some political observers believe this NATO commitment could be revised as US President Donald Trump, who took office in January, pushes Ukraine and Russia to negotiate peace, and Moscow sets Kyiv's membership as a condition for a ceasefire.

Jauniskis said "many discussions, many talks" are underway within NATO on Ukraine's potential membership.

"A lot of work still needs to be done before The Hague," he said.

Jauniskis added that Lithuanian authorities have agreed on the wording regarding Ukraine's membership that Vilnius wants to see in the final NATO summit declaration, but declined to reveal it.

The ambassador also said he expects Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky to attend the summit in The Hague, despite earlier reports that the United States does not want him to.

 

By Saulius Jakučionis

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Lithuania's NATO ambassador backs Israel's decision to strike Iran first

VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – Lithuania's ambassador to NATO, Darius Jauniskis, has expressed support for Israel's decision to strike Iran's nuclear facilities.

"Apparently, there was no other choice but to hit Iran's nuclear development sites, because it was necessary to stop them," Jauniskis told Ziniu Radijas in an interview aired on Tuesday. 

"Undoubtedly, it's not up to us to decide. Their intelligence services likely had certain information that led to these decisions," he added.

Jauniskis said the situation in the region needs to be closely watched to prevent the conflict between Israel and Iran from escalating into "broader action."

The ambassador said he believes Israel's concern about Iran getting closer to developing a nuclear weapon is widely seen as justified across NATO.

Israel and Iran have been exchanging fire since last Friday, stoking fears that long-standing tensions could spiral into a full-blown war.

Israel struck first, targeting Iran's nuclear and military facilities as well as top-ranking officers. The attacks, which Israel said were aimed at crippling Iran's efforts to develop a nuclear weapon, also hit residential areas.

Iran, which claims its nuclear program is for civilian use, responded with a barrage of missiles  against Israel.

 

By Saulius Jakučionis

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Search underway for Russian man who jumped off Kaliningrad train in Lithuania

VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – Lithuanian police are looking for a Russian citizen who jumped off the Adler-Kaliningrad transit train on Tuesday morning.

According to the Police Department, the Kybartai railway border crossing was notified before 6 a.m. that a Russian citizen born in 2004 had jumped off the moving Adler-Kaliningrad transit train.

Border guards responded but failed to find the person.

According to initial police data, about 25 minutes before the train reached the Kybartai railway station, an attendant noticed an open train door when the train was moving between Pilviskiai and Kybartai, through which the person could have jumped.

Information about the missing Russian national has been passed on to all police teams and a search for him is underway.

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Lithuanians won't need to pay for evacuation from Israel – PM

VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS - As the evacuation of Lithuanian citizens from Israel began in Tel Aviv on Tuesday morning, Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas says they will not have to pay for their evacuation.

"No, they will not have to pay," he told reporters at the Seimas on Tuesday. "Those who have registered, and there are over 150 of them, are currently traveling by bus to Jordan, some 70-80 people. And they will be flown back to Lithuania."

The group also includes Latvian citizens as well, Paluckas added.

"There are also Latvian citizens, but there has been no official request for cooperation," he said. "Each country deals with these issues on its own. Some are more active, others see it as a normal process because the borders are not closed and foreigners can leave Israel their own ways."

BNS reported earlier that Lithuanian authorities decided to evacuate citizens on a chartered civilian flight from Jordan, even though a Spartan military transport aircraft had also been deployed to the region.

More than 100 people, mostly Lithuanian citizens, have registered for the evacuation.

Officials have said the distance to the airport is about 350 kilometers, meaning the overland journey could take around four hours. The passengers are expected to depart from Aqaba International Airport in Jordan.

Lithuania has not received any evacuation requests from Iran so far.

By Karolina Ambrazaitytė

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Lithuanian defense ministry initiates reform of service member pensions

VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – The Lithuanian Defense Ministry said on Tuesday that it is initiating changes to the state pension system for service members, aiming to enhance their financial security and strengthen motivation to remain in military service.

The ministry said in a press release that it is currently analyzing best practices from NATO countries and preparing proposals for the parliament.

Potential changes include increasing the pension replacement rate for 25 years of service, guaranteeing a minimum pension of at least 50 percent of the former net salary, ensuring proper indexation, including all service-related bonuses in pension calculations, setting a pension floor, and addressing discrepancies between pensions granted under previous and current rules.

According to the ministry, a growing number of experienced service members, particularly those with more than 20 years of service, are opting not to renew their contracts, citing an insufficient expected pension as a key reason for leaving the armed forces for the civilian labor market.

Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene noted that most NATO countries have already adopted much more favorable models that ensure a higher pension replacement rate, adding that Lithuania must keep pace.

"If we fail to ensure a decent pension for service members who have dedicated their lives to serving Lithuania, we will lose experienced professionals who are costly and difficult to replace," Sakaliene said in the press release.

"Lithuania must value its troops not just with words but with tangible, competitive guarantees, just as our NATO allies do. Our goal is to create a competitive and fair system for our service members," she added.

Deputy Defense Minister Karolis Aleksa said that Lithuanian service members currently receive a state pension amounting to just 25 to 30 percent of their former salary. He added that the system fails to provide adequate support during the period before military personnel become eligible for old-age pensions from the state social insurance fund Sodra.

Aleksa also pointed to the issue of insufficient indexation, noting that many previously awarded state pensions have significantly lost value over time and that the gap between older and newer pensions continues to widen.

According to the Defense Ministry, in other NATO countries such as Poland, officers receive around 60 percent of their former salary after 25 years of service, and 75 percent for longer service. In France and Germany, maximum pensions exceed 70 percent of the service salary.

The ministry said it is working on the reform in coordination with the Social Security and Labor Ministry and in consultation with NATO partners.

 

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Lithuanian president convenes State Defense Council

VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda is convening the State Defense Council on Wednesday to discuss the regional security situation and the development of military infrastructure, his advisor Frederikas Jansonas told BNS on Tuesday.

The last time the SDC met was in April. At that time, it agreed to aim for around 20,000 troops to serve in the Lithuanian army by 2038.

In June, the SDC will meet a week before the NATO summit in The Hague.

With the United States pressing allies to allocate 5 percent of their GDP to defense, diplomats say NATO countries will seek to agree on a two-part commitment later this month, with defense-only funding rising to 3.5 percent of GDP and a further 1.5 percent of GDP earmarked for related needs.

Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene has told BNS that Lithuania is in favor of spending 5 percent of GDP for defense alone.

Lithuania plans to spend 5.25 percent of GDP on defense next year, up from over 4 percent of GDP this year.

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Lithuania MPs adopt part of tax changes, to vote on the rest on Thursday (corrects)

(corrects the last para) 

VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS - The Seimas of Lithuania on Tuesday adopted part of the tax changes proposed by the government, with the rest to be approved later this week.

Lawmakers taxed almost all non-life insurance contracts at a 10 percent rate, increased the corporate tax rate to 17 percent, introduced a sugar tax and adopted VAT amendments.

The opposition conservative Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats backed the bills that would generate revenue for the Defense Fund. Meanwhile, the opposition Liberals said on Tuesday morning that they would not support any tax increases.

"We have consistently held the view that this path will not bring significant benefits to defense funding, will slow the economy and we do not support the method chosen by the ruling bloc to transfer money from one pocket to another," Viktorija Cmilyte-Nielsen, the leader of the Liberal Movement, told reporters at the Seimas.

For his part, Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas called on lawmakers to support the proposed changed. "It is better to have 500 million euros in the Defense Fund than having none in the Defense Fund," he told reporters at the Seimas.

The government had estimated that the adoption of its proposed version of the tax changes would add around 280 million euros to the state budget as early as next year and 552 million euros in 2027. The bulk of these funds were promised for national defense, but these figures will change slightly as they have been adjusted in the parliament since the bill was presented.

2nd corporate tax increase in a year

The so-called security component, which will tax insurance contracts, was adopted by the Seimas with 104 votes in favor, 11 votes against and 15 abstentions.

Exemptions from the insurance tax will apply to insurance against civil liability for private cars, as well as to insurance against crops and plants and the health of farm animals.

The parliament also increased the standard corporate tax rate by 1 percentage point to 17 percent, and also raised the reduced rate by 1 percentage point to 7 percent.

The corporate tax rate was also increased from 15 percent to 16 percent last year.

96 lawmakers voted in favor of the amendments to the Law on Corporate Income Tax, 19 were against and eight abstained.

Tax on sweetened beverages, no reduced VAT rate on heating

On Tuesday, with 84 votes tin favor, 12 votes against and 30 abstentions, MPs also introduced a new tax on sweetened soft drinks.

Sweetened drinks containing 2.5-8 grams of sugar per 100 milliliters will be charged at 7.4 cents per liter, and 21 cents per liter if the sugar content exceeds 8 grams.

Tariffs of 1.05 euros per liter, or 4.3 euros per kilo, will be applied to concentrated drinks. Drinks containing natural sugars, such as those from fruit or milk, will not be taxed. 

The Seimas also abolished the reduced VAT rate for district heating, hot water and firewood.

The reduced VAT rate has also been increased to 12 percent from the current 9 percent. This means that VAT will increase on accommodation, passenger transport, arts and cultural events, while VAT on heating will reach 21 percent from January. For books and non-periodicals, the VAT rate has been reduced from 9 to 5 percent.

77 MPs voted in favor of the amendments, 19 were against and 16 abstained.

Prime Minister Paluckas said on Tuesday that the abolition of the reduced VAT rate on heating would mean that the most vulnerable would still receive compensation as they have so far and that more people would be able to benefit from it.

Vote on remaining tax changes on Thursday

The Seimas is set to adopt property and personal income tax changes on Thursday.

The latest version of the property tax, among other changes, foresees that the primary residential property would be taxed from 450,000 euros of its value, while all other properties would be taxed from 50,000 euros.

Lawmakers will also vote on the government's proposal to introduce an intermediate personal income tax rate of 25 percent for higher income earners, in addition to the current 20 and 32 percent rates.

The same law also includes President Gitanas Nauseda's proposal to apply an additional amount of non-taxable income for families, which was dropped in 2018.

Paluckas said earlier that the personal income tax changes could come into force in 2027 instead of 2026, when the positive effect of the tax changes on the state budget would be fully felt.

Lithuania intends to spend an additional dozen or so billion euros on defense by 2030 to develop an army division. According to the government, this will require spending between 5 percent and 6 percent of GDP on national defense between 2026 and 2030.

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Lithuanians evacuated from Israel reach Jordanian border

VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – Lithuanians evacuated from Israel arrived at the Jordanian border on Tuesday afternoon, the 15min news website reported.

About 80 people, including citizens of other EU countries, were transported from Tel Aviv to the border by three buses.

They will later head to Aqaba airport for a direct flight to Vilnius, scheduled for around 7 p.m.

As previously reported by BNS, the evacuation of Lithuanian citizens from Israel began in Tel Aviv on Tuesday morning. Among those evacuated are also Latvian and Estonian citizens.

Lithuanian authorities decided to evacuate citizens on a chartered civilian flight from Jordan, even though a Spartan military transport aircraft was deployed to the region earlier this week.

 

 

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Lithuanians evacuated from Israel cross Jordanian border (updates)

VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – Lithuanians being evacuated from Israel crossed the Jordanian border on Tuesday afternoon, a 15min journalist on the ground confirmed to BNS.

They will fly to Lithuania on a chartered flight from Aqaba airport in Jordan. The flight is scheduled for around 7 p.m.

About 80 people, including citizens of other EU countries, were transported from Tel Aviv to the Jordanian border by three buses.

As previously reported by BNS, the evacuation of Lithuanian citizens from Israel began in Tel Aviv on Tuesday morning. Among those evacuated are also Latvian and Estonian citizens.

Lithuanian authorities decided to evacuate citizens on a chartered civilian flight from Jordan, even though a Spartan military transport aircraft was deployed to the region earlier this week.

 

By Augustas Stankevičius

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Russian likely jumped off train in Lithuania as it slowed, motives unclear – minister

VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – After a Russian citizen left a transit train traveling from Adler to Kaliningrad on Tuesday, Lithuanian Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovic said the individual likely jumped off when the train slowed down, adding that the reason for the action remains unclear.

"There were no special stops when the incident occurred last night, but trains naturally slow down in certain places and the person most likely took the opportunity to jump off," he told reporters.

Kondratovic said there was currently no information indicating the Russian national had been found.

"A search is underway. Our services are actively responding. The standard protocols for such situations have been activated. Border guards, police and the Public Security Service are all involved," he told BNS.

The minister said the person's identity and travel destination are known, adding that law enforcement has no information suggesting any intent to cause harm.

"Passengers and what they are carrying are checked, so I don't think he had anything (dangerous). But it's hard to say what the purpose of leaving the train was," he said.

Kondratovic said that the ministry is responding calmly to the situation. While such incidents involving transit trains to Kaliningrad are rare, they do occur.

"Our goal now is to find (the Russian citizen) and ensure this doesn't happen again. Some steps have already been taken. I won't go into details, but our services are responding and know what they're doing," the minister said.

"Today's incident probably shows that we need to implement additional measures into our system to prevent such incidents from happening. We'll analyze it. I believe this isn't only our responsibility. The rail infrastructure is mostly in another country, not Lithuania, but I believe decisions will be made and recommendations followed," he added.

The minister noted that when a Kaliningrad-bound transit train stops, authorities respond by arriving at the scene. In higher-risk areas, such as the bridge at the Kaunas Hydropower Plant, the train is escorted.

According to the Police Department, the Kybartai railway border checkpoint received a report at around 6 a.m. on Tuesday 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, an attendant noticed an open train door when the train was moving between Pilviskiai and Kybartai, through which the person could have jumped.

 

 

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Excise duty policy is being assessed and reviewed – Lithuanian PM

VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – The existing excise duty policy in Lithuania is being reviewed and may be adjusted in the fall, Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas says amid businesses' fears over fuel excise duty increases and calls to postpone them.

"The excise duty policy is indeed being assessed and reviewed. And it is possible that we will make some decisions in the fall," Paluckas told reporters on Tuesday.

Fossil fuel excise duties now include a CO2 component since the beginning of this. As a result, excise duties on petrol increased by 10.1 percent, rose by 26.7 percent on diesel, jumped by 41.7 percent on labeled diesel, and went up by around 22 percent on LPG.

In addition, the excise duty on petrol, diesel, farmers' diesel, petroleum gas and other energy products has been increased by 6 cents per litrer (excluding VAT) since January, following the adoption of the Defense Fund Law by the previous parliament.

Due to the amendments adopted by the previous Seimas, a further increase in fuel excise duties is planned for next year, which could further worsen Lithuania's competitive position, and businesses and residents will stop filling up their tanks in the country.

"We have a working group in the government and it is currently working on this issue and assessing the possibility of such a solution," the prime minister added.

Businesses are already seeing the signs of the so-called "fuel tourism", and they proposed on Tuesday to suspend the planned increase in fuel excise duties as of next year, and to compensate the price difference between the price of fuel in Lithuania and in neighboring countries in order to encourage haulers to refuel in Lithuania.

Lithuania's state budget is projected to receive only half of the planned revenue from excise duties, and market players are also calling on the government to coordinate its excise duty plans with other countries.

Speaking earlier in the day, Deputy Finance Minister Kristupas Vaitiekunas said that the end of the summer and the beginning of the fall would show whether the excise duty policy should be adjusted.

In his words, the most worrying thing so far is that if Lithuania continues to increase the excise duty on diesel, it will be the only country to have a higher excise duty on diesel than that on petrol.

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Lithuanian PM says 'seriously considering' transferring company shares after probes

VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said on Tuesday that President Gitanas Nauseda had urged him to transfer the management of his shares in Garnis after ongoing probes into a soft loan granted to the company, which he partly owns, by the national development bank ILTE.

"The president has advised me that, once all the issues related to the investigations are resolved, I should consider handing over the non-property rights to the shares to a lawyer or law firm, to avoid even the appearance of involvement in the company's activities," Paluckas told reporters after his meeting with Nauseda at the Presidential Palace.

"I'm seriously considering the proposal, yes," he added.

The meeting was the first between the two leaders since the Financial Crime Investigation Service (FCIS) launched a pre-trial investigation into ILTE's soft loan Garnis, in which Paluckas holds a 49 percent stake.

The prime minister had previously said he had no intention of handing over the company's shares to anyone, arguing that such a move would amount to hiding behind lawyers.

Saulius Skvernelis, the speaker of the parliament, has also called on the prime minister to distance himself from the company. He said that if the investigations' findings are favorable, the prime minister could make decisions to separate his political career from even indirect involvement in business.

In addition to the FCIS probe, Garnis is also under scrutiny by the State Tax Inspectorate, the Chief Official Ethics Commission and the Special Investigation Service.

The prime minister insisted that the investigations were not interfering with his work.

"I'm doing my job and fulfilling my responsibilities. I see no reason to be nervous," he said.

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 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 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 has denied all accusations of shady business practices, saying he does not take part in Garnis' day-to-day operations and has not placed himself in any conflict of interest.

 

By Karolina Ambrazaitytė, Paulius Perminas

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Ministries against proposal to postpone Lithuanian language requirement for Ukrainians

VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – Some ministries and state institutions object to the Education, Science and Sport Ministry's proposal to postpone for another year the requirement for Ukrainians granted asylum in Lithuania to be able to speak Lithuanian when they start working in the country.

The Ministries of Culture, Social Security and Labor, Interior, as well as the State Lithuanian Language Commission and the State Language Inspectorate are not happy with the government resolution that's being tabled for the third time. And the Justice Ministry also has comments.

"The postponement for four years, I think, is not fully justified," Culture Minister Sarunas Birutis told BNS on Tuesday, adding that state institutions should work hard to make it possible for Ukrainians to learn Lithuanian and pass the qualification requirements.

He stressed that a good command of the Lithuanian language is linked to the strengthening of the Lithuanian state, citizenship and resistance to misinformation.

Under the draft government resolution submitted by the Education Ministry for further coordination, foreigners who have been granted temporary protection in Lithuania are exempted from the state language proficiency categories for recruitment for a period of four years from the date of granting of temporary protection, but no later than December 31, 2028.

Education, Science and Sport Minister Raminta Popoviene told BNS that the proposal is based on the fact that war refugees in Lithuania are protected until March 2026. In addition, the European Commission is also proposing a one-year extension of the right of Ukrainian refugees to remain in the European Union.

The aim is to create an effective system for teaching and examining the Lithuanian language during the grace period, she said, adding that the aim is also to reduce the required level of proficiency in the Lithuanian language.

"The main purpose of this postponement is to create a functioning system. We have discussed that the A2 level is too high, too difficult, and we have decided to develop the requirements for the A1 level. We will also budget for it. We are still discussing whether we will postpone it for a year or for six months, so that we can actually prepare and make the system work properly," Popoviene told BNS.

Other ministries and institutions objecting to the Education Ministry's proposal point out that the deadline for Lithuanian language proficiency has already been extended from two to three years.

The Social Security and Labor Ministry argues that the longer people are exempted from the requirement to learn the state language, the greater the risk that their participation in social life and the labor market will be limited, which could complicate their social situation.

The Interior Ministry calls for the current three-year deadline for learning the language not to be extended, saying that this is sufficient time for a foreigner to learn the national language and to acquire the language proficiency category required for their job functions.

According to the ministry, almost 50,000 foreigners who have received temporary protection currently have valid temporary residence permits in Lithuania, many of them working in the service sector.

For its part, the State Language Inspectorate says that foreigners are informed about language learning as soon as they arrive in the country: the importance of language proficiency is explained to them, they are provided with information on where to register for courses, and they are given access to websites where they can take tests to assess their language skills before the exam.

The language watchdog also points out that people in Lithuania are tired of hearing Russian all the time and of being surrounded by the Russian language, and there's been an increase in complaints from the public that Russian speakers do not want to speak Lithuanian in public and demand that other people talk to them in Russian.

The State Lithuanian Language Commission believes that a further postponement of the deadline undermines the efforts of some Ukrainians to learn Lithuanian once they arrive in Lithuania, and this will contribute to the growing public discontent about the increasing Russian-speaking environment.

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Lithuanian ruling parties oppose tougher rules on Russians buying property near key sites

VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – The ruling Social Democrats and Nemunas Dawn refused to support measures making it harder for Russian citizens to purchase property near strategic sites and facilities.

Conservative Mindaugas Linge's draft amendment failed to pass its first reading in the parliament, with 42 MPs voting in favor, seven against and 44 abstaining. It was returned for revision.

No MPs from the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party or Nemunas Dawn supported the proposal. The ruling Democrats were divided, with five voting for it and five abstaining.

Linge proposed amending the Law on Restrictive Measures Due to Military Aggression Against Ukraine to suspend the right of Russian citizens holding temporary or permanent residence permits in Lithuania to buy real estate located near facilities critical to national security or military training areas.

Under the proposal, the restriction would not apply if the person received clearance from the relevant authority confirming that the transaction does not pose a threat to national security.

Linge cited figures showing that Russian citizens have bought more than 3,000 properties in Lithuania since the start of Moscow's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

"Our proposal is not to ban these purchases outright, but to require an assessment from the competent authorities confirming that the transaction does not endanger national security," the conservative MP explained.

He noted that although Belarusian citizens outnumber Russians in Lithuania by almost four to one, they own fewer properties. Belarusians have purchased 1,963 properties over the past three years.

Linge said Russians own property near the Zokniai Air Base, Kairiai military training area, Kaunas combined heat and power plant, Pajuostis airfield, and other sites.

He added that individuals buying property near strategic sites are not subject to any background checks.

Arturas Zuokas, a non-attached MP, suggested focusing not on those who own property, but on those who rent it.

"The bigger problem is with renters, who are impossible to control. Maybe we should start restricting those cases first, rather than what's easiest for special services to control,” he said.

The Law on Restrictive Measures currently bans Russian citizens from buying property in Lithuania, but those holding permanent or temporary residence permits are still allowed to do so.

 

By Jūratė Skėrytė

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Lithuanian FM urges EU to make every effort to get Iran to resume nuclear negotiations

VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys has called on EU member states "to make every effort" to get Iran to resume nuclear negotiations.

During a virtual meeting of EU foreign ministers on Tuesday, Budrys stressed that Iran's violations of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) pose an existential threat to Israel, neighboring countries and international security.

"We must make every effort to ensure that Iran resumes negotiations and immediately provides all information related to its nuclear activities, grants access to IEAE inspectors and resumes full cooperation with the IAEA," the minister said.

Budrys called on both sides to avoid further escalation and to take urgent measures to stabilize the situation in the region, adding that Iran's decision to resume nuclear negotiations and to address the violations of the NPT identified by the IAEA would be a decisive factor for stabilization.

Lithuania's top diplomat also condemned Iran's military support it has been providing to Russia for the past three years, and called for a stronger EU response.

During their meeting, EU foreign ministers also discussed coordinated action to assist European citizens wishing to leave Israel and Iran.

In 2015, Tehran and world powers reached a landmark agreement that eased sanctions on Iran in exchange for restrictions on its nuclear program. However, the deal quickly collapsed and tensions rose again in 2018 after the United States unilaterally withdrew from it.

Efforts to revive the 2015 agreement between Tehran and the major powers on Iran's nuclear program remain stalled.

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 18, 2025

VILNIUS, Jun 18, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, June 18, 2025:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to chair a meeting of the State Defense Council at 2 p.m.; to provide comment to the press with Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene at 4 p.m.

PRIME MINISTER Gintautas Paluckas to attend a meeting of the State Defense Council at 2 p.m.;

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Lithuania voices strong protest to Russia over attacks on Ukrainian civilians

VILNIUS, Jun 17, BNS – Lithuania on Tuesday summoned a representative of the Russian Embassy in Lithuania to the Foreign Ministry to voice it strong protest over Russia's intensive shelling of Ukrainian cities overnight.

According to the Foreign Ministry, dozens of civilians were killed or wounded, and residential properties, educational and cultural institutions were destroyed and damaged.

"These attacks are part of a sustained and recently intensified Russian terrorist campaign against Ukrainian civilians, with the country being subjected to intensive daily Russian missile and drone attacks deliberately targeting civilian infrastructure," the ministry said in its statement.

"This systematic terror by Russia only proves once again that Russia is deliberately flouting all norms of international law, maliciously escalating and showing no interest in a ceasefire and peace, and that the international community must step up its pressure on Russia and ensure full support for Ukraine," the ministry said.

Residents of Kyiv, Odessa, Zaporizhzhia and other regions of Ukraine were affected by the recent strikes by the Russian Armed Forces, which may have involved the use of cluster munitions.

 

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