LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. MET Group drops bid to acquire controlling stake in Lithuania's Achema Group
2. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, May 201, 2025
3. Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
4. Lithuanian minister to attend summit on Europe's demographic challenges in Ukraine
5. Sakharov conference in Vilnius to discuss global consequences of war in Ukraine
6. Russian-controlled foundation financed pro-Russian lawyers working in Lithuania (media)
7. MET Group drops bid to buy 54 pct stake in Lithuania's Achema Group  (expands)
8. MET Group saw no way to smoothly take control of Lithuania's Achema Group – CEO (media)
9. Search for training area site will only begin now, decisions due in fall – vicemin
10. Lithuanian govt's sole interest is keeping Achema Group viable – minister
11. Humanitarian situation in Gaza is tragic, but we must talk to Israel – Lithuanian FM
12. Government greenlights AI factory in Lithuania
13. Lithuanian govt simplifies rules for major investments, defense projects
14. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, May 22, 2025
15. FM calls for probe as Lithuanian rep, diplomats come under fire in West Bank

MET Group drops bid to acquire controlling stake in Lithuania's Achema Group

VILNIUS, May 21, BNS – MET Group announced Wednesday it is pulling out of the deal to acquire a controlling stake in Achema Group, one of Lithuania's largest business groups.

"The legal disputes and the various uncertainties outweigh the potential benefits of continuing with the transaction," the Swiss energy company said in a statement. 

 

 

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, May 201, 2025

VILNIUS, May 21, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, May 21, 2025:

Members of the SEIMAS Group for Inter-Parliamentary Relations with Hungary to meet with representatives of the Hungarian Embassy and a guest from Hungary at 4 p.m.

PRIME MINISTER Gintautas Paluckas to meet with Boris Rhein, minister-president of Hesse, at 2 p.m.

SOCIAL SECURITY AND LABOR MINISTER Inga Ruginiene to pay a visit to Ukraine.

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Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus

VILNIUS, May 21, 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 Wednesday morning.

Latvia reported 37 illegal border crossing attempts on Tuesday. Poland denied entry to 191 irregular migrants on Monday, according to the latest available information.

Some 712 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year.  A total of 1,002 irregular migrants were denied entry 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 minister to attend summit on Europe's demographic challenges in Ukraine

VILNIUS, May 21, BNS – Lithuanian Social Security and Labor Minister Inga Ruginiene is heading to Ukraine on Wednesday to take part in the second Ministerial Social Policy Summit.

Ignas Algirdas Dobrovolskas, the minister's advisor, told BNS that the meeting will focus on demographic trends and tools to address the challenges they pose.

Ukraine's Ministry of Social Policy announced that the summit in Lviv will bring together more than 20 high-level representatives, including ministers from EU member states, officials from the European Commission, international organizations, leading experts, and policymakers. 

According to the Lithuanian ministry, Ruginiene will spend three days in Ukraine.

 

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Sakharov conference in Vilnius to discuss global consequences of war in Ukraine

VILNIUS, May 21, BNS – The 15th international Andrei Sakharov Conference is set to open in Vilnius on Wednesday.

This year's event, organized by Vytautas Magnus University's Andrei Sakharov Research Center for Democratic Development, is titled "Pulling Back from the Abyss" and focuses on the global consequences of the war in Ukraine.

The two-day conference will look at how the war has reshaped global politics and discuss potential paths to prevent a global collapse.

According to the organizers, the consequences of the war go beyond Europe. They challenge the founding ideals of the European Union, affect the North Atlantic region, including relations between Europe and the United States and US foreign policy in general, and have implications for political and military developments in the Pacific, as well as undermine trust in the effectiveness of the United Nations. 

Nearly 30 participants from around the world, including experts in politics, psychiatry, neurology, philosophy and security, as well as researchers, journalists and writers, are expected to participate as speakers or panelists.

The Kaunas-based Sakharov Center holds the annual conference on May 21 to mark the birthday of the renowned physicist, human rights advocate and Nobel Peace Prize laureate. Each year, the event focuses on a key human rights issue.

 

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Russian-controlled foundation financed pro-Russian lawyers working in Lithuania (media)

VILNIUS, May 20, BNS – A Russian controlled foundation has financed lawyers in Lithuania, working on the high-profile January 13th case on crimes against humanity, and has given money to pro-Russian individuals, the public broadcaster LRT reports on Wednesday.

At least three lawyers practicing law in Lithuania have opened accounts with Sberbank, a Russian bank that is also subject to sanctions from 2022, in order to receive payment for their work from the Russian-controlled Foundation for Supporting and Protecting the Rights of Compatriots Living Abroad (Pravfond).

Rysardas Burda, the defense lawyer of the Lithuanian citizens convicted of crimes against humanity in the January 13th case, has requested at least 60,000 euros from the foundation since 2018. Lawyer Julija Asovskaja has presented a bill of 15,000 euros to Pravfond for the representation of Gennady Ivanov at the European Court of Human Rights, and lawyer Nikolaj Voinov has also requested 15,000 euros for the defense of Albertas Galinaitis at the ECHR, the public broadcaster reports.

According to the LRT, among the people who have received from or applied for funds from Pravfond are Stanislovas Tomas, who fled Lithuania to avoid prosecution, Edikas Jagelavicius, an associate of Algirdas Paleckis, who is imprisoned in Lithuania for spying for Russia, and Viaceslav Titov, a former councilor in Klaipeda.

The foundation also gave money for Paleckis' defense. Meanwhile, Kazimieras Juraitis has asked the fund for money for the legal proceedings against Erika Svencioniene.

According to the public broadcaster, Lithuania's Financial Crime Investigation Service has not received any requests from Burda, Voinov or Asovskaja to withdraw money from the sanctioned entity. Therefore, such a transfer of their remuneration could be considered as a possible breach of the existing sanctions.

Established in 2011, Pravfond is under the supervision of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and is headed by former Russian Ambassador to Lithuania Alexander Udaltsov.

Intelligence agencies in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and other Western countries have confirmed the foundation's direct links to Russian special services, and it's subject to EU sanctions from 2023.

According to the LRT, between 2012 and 2024, Pravfond has distributed over 6 million US dollars (around 5.4 million euros) to various activities in Western countries.

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MET Group drops bid to buy 54 pct stake in Lithuania's Achema Group  (expands)

VILNIUS, May 21, BNS – MET Group announced Wednesday it is pulling out of its planned acquisition of a 54.7 percent stake in Achema Group, one of Lithuania's largest business groups. 

"MET Group has decided not to proceed with the transaction to acquire 54.07 percent of shares in Achema Group," the Swiss energy company said in a statement. 

"The legal disputes and the various uncertainties outweigh the potential benefits of continuing with the transaction," it said. 

"We are thankful for the support we have received during the process, but at the same time we also encountered many challenges from which we can learn," MET Group Chairman and CEO Benjamin Lakatos said in the statement. 

"We extend our best wishes to Ms. Lyda Lubiene and remain hopeful that Achema Group will navigate through the current hardships and build a strong future," he added. 

MET Group said its decision to exit the acquisition process was driven by unresolved shareholder disputes within Achema Group over preemptive rights, which cast doubt on the ownership of the shares.

"This deadlock situation hinders the execution of any potential share transaction and consumes valuable resources and the focus of everyone involved," it said. 

Another factor cited by the Swiss company was the significant and complex business challenges currently facing the fertilizer sector.

"The mitigation of this environment would require imminent and harmonized actions from all stakeholders around Achema Group," it said.

 

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MET Group saw no way to smoothly take control of Lithuania's Achema Group – CEO (media)

VILNIUS, May 21, BNS – MET Group saw no way to swiftly and smoothly acquire control of Achema Group, one of Lithuania's largest business conglomerates, after Arunas Laurinaitis, a minority shareholder, launched legal action, according to Benjamin Lakatos, the Swiss energy company's chairman and CEO.   

"It was a fairly long process, lasting more than a year. However, we now see no possibility of completing the transaction," Lakatos said in an interview published by the business daily Verslo Zinios on Wednesday.

"The main reason is that the minority shareholder has gone to court over his preemptive right to buy the shares. We respect that right and Lithuanian courts, but we see no possibility of proceeding with the acquisition quickly and smoothly. A year or two is too long for us," he said. 

According to the CEO, MET Group wanted to integrate Achema, the Lithuanian nitrogen fertilizer manufacturer owned by Achema Group, into its natural gas value chain and saw potential synergies between its own green energy plans and Achema's green projects.

"We put a lot of work into this deal. I get emotional when I see the added value we could have created. Simply owning assets is one thing, but being able to generate new value through synergy is something entirely different," he said.

Lakatos added that political rhetoric also played a role in the decision to walk away.

"Since we hadn't signed a share purchase agreement, we didn't start discussions with politicians and couldn't present our business ideas. The negative media coverage about our company came as an unpleasant surprise," he said.

MET Group on Wednesday announced its decision to withdraw from the process of acquiring a controlling stake in Achema Group.

The company revealed last June that it was looking to buy a 54.07 percent stake in Achema Group from Lyda Lubiene and her daughter Viktorija Lubyte.

At the time, the media reported MET Group's alleged ties to Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban and Russian business people with controversial reputations.

In early February this year, Laurinaitis said he also wanted to acquire control of Achemos Grupe for nearly 303 million euros. After Lubiene objected, he took the dispute to court. According to the Liteko judicial information system, the Vilnius Regional Court has yet to begin hearing the case on its merits.

Lubiene currently holds 41.59 percent of Achema Group shares and Lubyte owns 12.47 percent, with the remaining shares held by 13 private individuals.

 

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Search for training area site will only begin now, decisions due in fall – vicemin

VILNIUS, May 21, BNS – A search for a specific site for a new military training area will begin in Lithuania only now and decisions are expected in the fall, Defense Vice Minister Orijana Masale says as Lithuania mulls setting up such a training area in the country's south or east.

"We will start a concrete search for certain sites, both looking into maps and specific locations physically. (...) I think we could talk about more specific areas where all this could potentially be located in the fall," she told reporters on Wednesday, adding that the search will start next week.

"We haven't looked into specific areas, we have clearly identified the regions where it could happen, but we are not really talking about specific districts and their territories, it is more geographically when it comes to regions," Masale said.

She reiterated that a new site would be situated in eastern or southern Lithuania in order to be "as close to the territories of unfriendly states as possible". This is necessary to ensure that Lithuanian and allied troops can quickly deploy to the right place in case of a crisis.

Also, she said, the new site should also be complex enough to allow troops to train in the most diverse conditions.

Masale told BNS on Tuesday said a special working group would search for a site for the new training area, adding that more information could be expected over the next few weeks.

The government also promises a package of benefits for municipalities that would allow setting up training areas within their territories. The Defense Ministry has already received a letter from the Association of Local Authorities in Lithuania with their preferences on what these benefits could be. According to Masale, municipalities hosting training areas could receive additional investment in, for example, roads or lighting.

Lithuania is looking for a site for the new training area in response to the growing number of allied troops in Lithuania, the rising number of conscripts and reserves and the acquisition of new military equipment. The new site would need a territory of 20,000 ha and it would be the largest training area in Lithuania.

Last fall, the Seimas decided to set up new training areas in Taurage and Silale Districts, but they will be smaller and will be used only for maneuvers.

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Lithuanian govt's sole interest is keeping Achema Group viable – minister

VILNIUS, May 21, BNS – After Switzerland's MET Group pulled out of the deal to buy a majority stake in Achema Group, one of Lithuania's largest business conglomerates, Economy and Innovation Minister Lukas Savickas said this was a business decision, while the government's sole interest is ensuring the company remains viable.

"Every company and investor makes decisions independently. Our goal is simple: to ensure that economic activity can continue and that the company's viability is maintained," Savickas told BNS on Wednesday. 

"I believe that's our only interest, and we'll see what other logical steps the businesspeople themselves choose to take," the minister said. 

"We don't make decisions for businesspeople. They make their own decisions, and we create the environment in which those decisions are made," he added.

Achema Group controls the Achema nitrogen fertilizer plant, which is on Lithuania's list of companies important to national security. The facility in the central town of Jonava employs around 1,120 people.

Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas has previously said that Achema could be involved in the production of explosives in Lithuania. According to him, the company has already carried out a feasibility study and selected a site for the future plant.

Paluckas has not ruled out the idea of the state, through its planned defense holding company, establishing a joint explosives manufacturing venture with Achema Group.

Earlier on Wednesday, MET Group announced its decision to withdraw from the process of acquiring a 54.07 percent stake in Achema Group, citing unresolved disputes between the Lithuanian company's shareholders as a key reason.

Achema Group comprises around 40 companies involved in fertilizer production, agribusiness, logistics, energy, and gas production and trading across the Baltic states, Poland, Germany, France, Belgium, Sweden, the Czech Republic and Croatia.

 

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Humanitarian situation in Gaza is tragic, but we must talk to Israel – Lithuanian FM

VILNIUS, May 21, BNS – Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys has called the existing humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip tragic, but says it needs to be resolved through talks with Israel.

"The humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip right now, as reported by various human rights monitoring organizations and humanitarian aid distribution organizations, is truly tragic," Lithuania's top diplomat told reporters in Vilnius on Wednesday.

In his words, Lithuania has a clear position on this issue – the border crossings must be opened, humanitarian aid must reach the people, and this practice is unacceptable. Lithuania backs all forms of persuasion and talks with Israel in order to allow aid to reach the people of Gaza, the minister said.

Budrys said he spoke about this with his Israeli counterpart last Saturday and pointed out to the existing situation, adding that it is this kind of talking and reasoning that produces results.

"We see that Israel is reviewing its position, and I think this is the right way for partners to move forward. If we have the instrument, we have the ability to talk, we have the arguments, the partner hears our arguments, and the situation, it changes in the direction that we all want," the minister said.

"When we see a bit later, in a week's time, whether the situation has changed or not, we will also see the reports from human rights institutions, then we will be able to assess what other measures we need to take"," he added.

By Aurimas Ragelis, Paulius Perminas

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Government greenlights AI factory in Lithuania

VILNIUS, May 21, BNS – Lithuania is set to establish an artificial intelligence (AI) competence and technology center, known as the AI factory, to drive the development of AI infrastructure in the country. 

The Economy and Innovation Ministry said the government approved its proposal on Wednesday. 

The project, worth 100 million euros, is expected to create up to 500 highly skilled jobs by early 2027, with the long-term return to the state projected to far exceed the initial investment.

"The AI factory is a strategic step toward creating an advanced and internationally competitive innovation ecosystem in Lithuania," Economy and Innovation   Minister Lukas Savickas said in a press release.

"This center will not only help accelerate the adoption of AI solutions in business and the public sector but also create hundreds of high value-added jobs," he added.

Some 50 percent of the project's funding is expected to come from the European Commission, with the remainder to be covered by the state (up to 50 million euros) and private sector investment.

 

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Lithuanian govt simplifies rules for major investments, defense projects

VILNIUS, May 21, BNS – Lithuania's government on Wednesday backed the Economy and Innovation Ministry's proposal to allow the construction of large industrial facilities, as well as to implement defense industry projects, including smaller ones, without a permit and without notifying of the start of construction, if such facilities meet the state's urgent security and defense needs.

Ministers approved amendments to several laws to simplify territorial planning and the issuance of construction permits for such projects. The changes still need parliamentary approval.

The latest amendments come on top of the amendments adopted by the Seimas in April 2024, allowing local and foreign defense industry companies to start construction of factories without obtaining a permit and to obtain permits before construction is completed. 

"We want Lithuania to be a country where a major project can start in a few months and be completed in a year or two. We are offering concrete solutions: cutting red tape, shortening processes and creating a truly functioning investment highway," Economy and Innovation Minister Lukas Savickas said in a statement.

According to the ministry, the simplified conditions will also apply to projects in free economic zones and include faster land formation, clearer planning rules, and simplified environmental impact assessment.

In addition, the motion also includes an overhaul of the application of corporate income tax breaks, so that they apply once a project has been completed, rather than from the start.

Major projects are considered those expected to create at least 150 jobs (200 in Vilnius) that would be maintained for at least five years, with an investment of at least 20 million euros (30 million euros in Vilnius) in private funds. Also, such projects could create at least 20 new jobs, but with an average wage of at least 1.25 of the average wage of the municipality concerned.

Such projects would be subject to a 0 percent corporate income tax for up to 20 years. 

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Thursday, May 22, 2025

VILNIUS, May 22, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Thursday, May 22, 2025:

PRESIDENT Gitanas Nauseda to meet with German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz at 11.30 a.m., followed by their joint press conference at 12.10 p.m.; the president and the German chancellor to partake in the inauguration of the German 45th Armored Brigade, also know as Lithuania Brigade, at Cathedral Square at 2 p.m.

PRIME MINISTER Gintautas Paluckas to welcome participants of an international conference on integration and inclusion at 9 a.m.; to attend a formal lunch at the invitation of German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz at 12.30 p.m.; to attend the inauguration of the German 45th Armored Brigade, also know as Lithuania Brigade, at Cathedral Square at 2 p.m.

SOCIAL SECURITY AND LABOR MINISTER Inga Ruginiene to continue her visit to Ukraine.

FOREIGN MINISTER Kestutis Budrys to meet German Federal Chancellor Friedrich Merz at Vilnius Airport at 9.45 a.m.; to attend the inauguration of the German 45th Armored Brigade, also know as Lithuania Brigade, at Cathedral Square at 2 p.m.

INTERIOR MINISTER Vladislav Kondratovic to attend a meting of EU ministers on building civi preparedness and resistance in Brussels.

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FM calls for probe as Lithuanian rep, diplomats come under fire in West Bank

VILNIUS, May 21, BNS – Lithuania's Foreign Ministry has called for Israel's immediate investigation of Wednesday's incident when foreign diplomats, including a Lithuanian representative, visiting Jenin in the West Bank came under Israeli fire.

"We can confirm that a Lithuanian representative in Palestine was visiting the Jenin refugee camp in the West Bank with the diplomatic corps at the time of the incident. The Lithuanian representative was unhurt and has already returned to her place of residence. We call on the Israeli government to urgently investigate this incident," Kristina Belikova, spokeswoman for the foreign minister, told BNS.

The Israeli army reported earlier that troops fired warning shots on Wednesday after diplomats visiting Jenin in the occupied West Bank deviated from their approved route.

The Israeli army said in a statement that no injuries had been reported, adding that the army "regrets the inconvenience caused".

By Paulius Perminas, Vilmantas Venckūnas

 

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LITHUANIA DAILY NEWS BULLETIN

IN THIS ISSUE:

1. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, May 20, 2025
2. Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus
3. Lithuanian defmin says US-Russia leaders' call 'sounds like a broken record'
4. Lithuania has bilateral security deals 'where they're realistic and work' – defmin
5. Lithuanian president vows to keep ties with Poland friendly after election
6. Regional countries may join Lithuania's Hague lawsuit against Belarus – president
7. U-turn on NATO membership promise to Kyiv would be reputational blow – Nauseda
8. Estonian incident should clear way for tougher action – Lithuania's NATO ambassador
9. Lithuanian president calls Vaitkus 'classic fifth column product'
10. Lithuanian PM to meet with Vinted CEO Plantenga
11. Europe has greatest responsibility to help Ukraine – Lithuanian PM after US-Russia talks
12. Working groups to search for training area site, more news in coming weeks – vice minister
13. Lithuanian MPs accept tax package for further debate, but without real estate tax (updates)
14. Non-democratic world rep is winning – Lithuanian PM after Trump-Putin call
15. Lithuania's lawyers say Veolia ran corruption scheme, unlawfully transferred EUR 16 mln 
16. EU should already be working on 18th package as Russia stalls for time – Lithuanian FM
17. Court upholds EUR 14 mln fine for Biovarda over sanctions breach
18. Lithuanian MPs refused to consider amendments to natl minority law
19. Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, May 201, 2025
20. Lithuanian FM on peace talks: either we admit our impotence or finally move forward
21. NATO jets in Baltics scrambled 4 times over Russian aircraft last week

Upcoming events in Lithuania for Tuesday, May 20, 2025

VILNIUS, May 20, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Tuesday, May 20, 2025:

FOREIGN MINISTER Kestutis Budrys to attend a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels.

INTERIOR MINISTER Vladislav Kondratovic to attend a meeting of ministers in charge of regional policy in Warsaw.

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Lithuania records no illegal border crossings from Belarus

VILNIUS, May 20, 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 84 illegal border crossing attempts on Monday. Poland denied entry to 224 irregular migrants on Sunday, according to the latest available information.

Some 712 irregular migrants have been barred from entering Lithuania from Belarus at non-designated places so far this year.  A total of 1,002 irregular migrants were denied entry 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 defmin says US-Russia leaders' call 'sounds like a broken record'

VILNIUS, May 20, BNS – Monday's phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin "sounds like a broken record" and is unlikely to bring any breakthrough in peace talks, Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene said.

"The outcome of this conversation sounds to me like a broken record, because we've had a very similar situation during previous calls. The conversation is hailed as positive, hopes are raised that major changes are coming, but as we've seen before, those changes never materialize," Sakaliene told an LRT TV program.

"I don't think the result will be any different this time, because Putin is still moving forward in Ukraine, all processes related to his reform of the armed forces and military industry are progressing smoothly. As for the current process, it's in his interest to stall and create the illusion of dialogue, thus misleading the allies and buying time," she added.

Sakaliene also said she doubts many Western allies still believe "any agreement with Putin can be reached at all."

"Of course, in this situation, it's still worth trying to achieve a result that could reduce the number of casualties in Ukraine. Opinions differ on whether this can be done through talks with Putin or more effectively through sanctions. I'd lean more toward sanctions," she said.

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Lithuania has bilateral security deals 'where they're realistic and work' – defmin

VILNIUS, May 20, BNS – After Poland and France signed a bilateral treaty that includes security guarantees, Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene said Lithuania already has the necessary defense agreements in place and, where such agreements are not possible, it works closely with allies on joint defense efforts. 

"I'm very pragmatically considering options A, B, C and D. We have all the formats – both bilateral and multilateral. We have bilateral ones where they're realistic and work, because some (bilateral agreements) might sound great but just won't happen," Sakaliene told an LRT TV program on Monday.  

"I do what can be done, and where a certain agreement isn't possible, we have joint actions in place to defend our territory together with sister divisions," she added.

The treaty signed by French President Emmanuel Macron and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk in early May states that "in the event of armed aggression on their territories, the parties shall provide mutual assistance, including by military means."

The two leaders said that the agreement "does not substitute for NATO."

 

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Lithuanian president vows to keep ties with Poland friendly after election

VILNIUS, May 20, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says he will do everything he can to ensure relations with Poland remain friendly, no matter who wins the neighboring country's presidential election.

"I'll do everything in my power to keep our relationship constructive and friendly – just as it should be with any neighbor and especially with this one, with whom we're implementing many important infrastructure projects successfully and with whom we have ambitious plans for the future," Nauseda told the Ziniu Radijas radio station in an interview aired on Tuesday.

"I'll certainly make the effort. I think I'm a communicative person and if someone wants to maintain a friendly relationship with me, it's always possible," he added.

Liberal Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski narrowly won the first round of Poland's presidential election last weekend and faces a tight run-off against Karol Nawrocki, a historian backed by the opposition Law and Justice party, on June 1.

Nauseda has previously described outgoing Polish President Andrzej Duda as one of his closest allies abroad.

Duda is not running again, having already served two consecutive terms.

In Romania, meanwhile, moderate pro-European candidate Nicusor Dan won last weekend's presidential runoff, defeating George Simion, a nationalist who wants to halt aid to Ukraine.

Nauseda said that Russian interference in Romania's election was obvious.

"If the election had ended differently, we would probably have had to sadly state that a certain process of fragmentation is starting in Central Europe, where Hungary is increasingly joined by Slovakia and potentially even Romania," the president said.

"That wouldn't have been a good trend, but now we can speak of it in the subjunctive, since things turned out the way they did," he added.

 

By Saulius Jakučionis

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Regional countries may join Lithuania's Hague lawsuit against Belarus – president

VILNIUS, May 20, BNS – President Gitanas Nauseda said on Tuesday that other countries in the region could join Lithuania's lawsuit against Belarus at the International Court of Justice, seeking to hold the Minsk regime accountable for the migrant crisis.

"I believe there's always a possibility for our partners to join at a later stage. It's a good thing we've taken the lead. We're showing – not for the first time – that what is happening in our neighboring states is unacceptable to us," Nauseda told the Ziniu Radijas radio station.

On Monday, Lithuania filed a case against Belarus with the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over alleged breaches of the neighboring country's obligations under the UN Protocol against the Smuggling of Migrants by Land, Sea and Air. 

Nauseda said illegal migration "isn't something we can talk about in the past tense."

"It's happening again. It keeps flaring up and constantly raises tensions at our border. You'd have to be completely naive not to see that this is being done deliberately to escalate the situation, destabilize the region and create additional problems not only for our countries but for the European Union as a whole," he said.

According to the president, the EU has grown stronger in the wake of the migrant crisis that began in 2021.

"What we've achieved is drawing the EU's attention to the importance of protecting its external borders. This is already reflected in recent European Council documents, which recognize that countries directly bordering aggressor states – Belarus and Russia – need extra attention and funding to ensure what is a common good: the security of the EU's external borders," he said.

According to the Foreign Ministry, Lithuania has collected evidence that confirms Minsk's direct involvement in orchestrating the migrant crisis, including an increase in flights from the Middle East and other regions arranged by Belarusian state-owned companies, along with organized visa issuance and accommodation for arriving migrants.

Once in Belarus, many migrants were allegedly escorted to the Lithuanian border by Belarusian security forces and forced to cross it illegally, often in dangerous and life-threatening conditions.

According to the State Border Guard Service, Lithuanian border guards have blocked 23,600 attempts by foreign nationals to cross into the country illegally from Belarus since the start of the migration crisis. 

 

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U-turn on NATO membership promise to Kyiv would be reputational blow – Nauseda

VILNIUS, May 20, BNS – NATO's U-turn on its membership promise to Ukraine would be a serious reputational blow to the Alliance, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda says.

"We have very clearly reinforced the text on Ukraine's NATO prospects at least at the last three NATO summits. Now to just take it and remove it all away, well, that would hurt NATO's credibility very badly," the president said an interview with the Ziniu Radijas news radio, aired on Tuesday. "That (...) would be a huge blow to NATO's reputation."

According to the president, Ukraine needs to attend the NATO summit in The Hague in June in order to be able to present its own position on these issues.

Citing diplomatic sources, several foreign media outlets have previously reported that the United States does not want Ukraine to be represented at the summit. And Russia has consistently made it a condition for peace that Ukraine does not join the Alliance.

It was stated during the NATO summit in Vilnius in 2023 that "Ukraine will become a NATO member when the allies agree and conditions are met."

NATO first promised to eventually admit Ukraine to the Alliance in 2008 at the Bucharest summit, but did not specify the conditions under which this would happen.

Nauseda says there are two ways for Ukraine to achieve Western security guarantees. One is the permanent reinforcement of Ukraine's own army and the second one is NATO membership.

However, he believes that the latter option would be more effective for NATO countries.

"That (strong Ukrainian army - BNS) is even expressed in figures, standing at around 50 billion euros, maybe a bit more, per year. And the question is whether the Western world is actually prepared to spend such a really significant amount of money every year for this purpose," Nauseda said.

"If so, good, but we have a reason to believe that every year we have a certain difficult political process that often does not generate the necessary amount of money and often we do not know until the last minute whether we will be able to provide sufficient support to Ukraine or not," the Lithuanian president said.

"That is why, of course, NATO membership, and everybody recognizes this, is probably the cheapest way to achieve security guarantees for Ukraine," Nauseda said.

US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin discussed the situation in Ukraine on Monday, Nauseda says the Kremlin leader will do everything possible to avoid a direct dialogue on peace with the Ukrainian leader Volodymyr Zelensky.

"I am convinced that he is not interested in peace at all," Nauseda said, adding that only the US political leadership's decision to take the "hard road" can change this position.

"It must be made clearly stated that if we are convinced that the peace negotiation process is being undermined by Russia, all sanctions will fall heavily on Russia. We all pretty much know whose to blame in here and why these talks cannot start", the president said.

In his words, if the EU sees real progress in the Ukraine-Russia peace talks, it would consider reviewing its sanction policy towards Russia, but no such progress has been made so far.

By Saulius Jakučionis

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Estonian incident should clear way for tougher action – Lithuania's NATO ambassador

VILNIUS, May 20, BNS – Lithuania's ambassador to NATO, Darius Jauniskis, believes that last week's incident in Estonia involving a tanker from Russia's shadow fleet should clear the way for more decisive action by the allies. 

When a Russian fighter jet flew in to escort the Jaguar tanker, Moscow effectively confirmed the existence of its shadow fleet, which helps it skirt international sanctions, according to Jauniskis. 

"With this move, Russia acknowledged that the shadow fleet exists and that it matters to them. I think this is a very important moment and (...) it should clear the way for more decisive action on our part," the ambassador told the Ziniu Radijas radio station in an interview aired on Tuesday.

"But at the same time, we must be prepared for aggressive actions from Russia. We have to look at what tools we have and how much resolve we have to respond if any provocations come from their side," he added.

Last week, the sanctioned Jaguar tanker refused to follow orders from Estonian officials while in Estonia's exclusive economic zone and a Russian fighter jet escorting the vessel violated Estonian airspace.

President Gitanas Nauseda said on Monday that Lithuania and its allies were still reviewing possible tougher measures to curb Russia's actions in the Baltic Sea.

Jauniskis also noted that maritime law is rather liberal and limits what kind of action can be taken.

He said countries could change their laws to allow them to take tougher action if Russian vessels enter their exclusive economic zones, but there is also concern about how Moscow might react.

"The use of that fighter jet clearly shows their intention to defend all that interest. Apparently, they even want to signal that they are ready to do so by military means," the ambassador said.

Sabotage not ruled out in Lithuanian factory fires

Jauniskis, a former director of the Lithuanian State Security Department, also said he does not rule out the possibility that coordinated actions were behind five fires that broke out at different Lithuanian industrial facilities earlier this month.

"Russia has repeatedly shown that it's inclined to cross every red line. One of its methods is these acts of sabotage that threaten all of Europe," he said.

Authorities are currently investigating whether the fires were linked.

The National Crisis Management Center has said there is no reliable evidence to connect the fires, draw broader conclusions or suspect sabotage.

Jauniskis said Russia uses sabotage to distract, intimidate, pressure others into talks and drain countries' resources.

"Russia's methods are very clear. The only question is how ready we are to act and respond to these actions. I believe this can't go unanswered," the ambassador said.

"Russia needs to understand that if it keeps doing this, the response will be really decisive and very painful. I believe that's the only thing that might stop them. When dealing with a terrorist state, you probably have to use its own methods," he added.

Last week, Poland announced its decision to close a Russian consulate over "sabotage," after authorities accused Moscow of orchestrating last year's fire that ravaged a Warsaw shopping center. 

Jauniskis said he doubts this will be the only response.

"I (...) don't think it ends there. Apparently, other steps are being planned. I can't say for sure – that's just my assumption," the former Lithuanian intelligence chief said.

 

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Lithuanian president calls Vaitkus 'classic fifth column product'

VILNIUS, May 20, BNS – Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has called Eduardas Vaitkus, his former rival in the last president election, a representative of the fifth column.

"In any case, it is quite obvious to me that this man is a perfect example of the fifth column. We are now talking about whether we have the fifth column or not. This is a prime example for you - a pure, classic product of the fifth column, who walks around and enjoys all the benefits of democracy," the president said in an interview with the Ziniu Radijas news radio, aired on Tuesday.

"All that is missing is for him to drop to his knees and start worshiping Putin. But perhaps it is a matter of time," he added.

As BNS reported earlier, while in Minsk last week, Vaitkus stated that there's no legitimately elected president in Lithuania and that Lithuania is on the path of destruction of the Lithuanian nation and statehood.

In response, Lithuania's police launched a pre-trial investigation into aiding another state to act against Lithuania. Vaitkus declined to comment on the probe, but his lawyer, Mazvydas Misiunas, told BNS later that the purpose of Vaitkus's trip was allegedly to restore "normal cooperation" and dialogue between the two countries and their people.

Nauseda finds it amusing that Vaitkus goes to Belarus to complain about the quality of democracy in Lithuania.

"It is simply a comical situation to go and cry in a country that has held I don't know how many illegal presidential, parliamentary and other elections in a row, and it suppresses any democratic manifestations with brutal force and rifle butts," the president said.

Vaitkus receive a state award from the then President Rolandas Paksas in 2004. Now, the Council for State Awards is set to consider stripping Vaitkus of this award.

Nauseda won the presidential election runoff against the then Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte last year. Vatkus came in fourth in the first round of voting.

By Saulius Jakučionis

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Lithuanian PM to meet with Vinted CEO Plantenga

VILNIUS, May 20, BNS – Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas is set to meet with Thomas Plantenga, CEO of Vinted, Europe's largest C2C second-hand marketplace and Lithuania's first unicorn, on Tuesday 

"The meeting will discuss the state and development of e-commerce companies in Lithuania, the decisions made by the government to reduce the regulatory burden on business," Tadas Vinokuras, the prime minister's advisor on relations with state institutions, told BNS.

In October, Vinted's market value reached 5 billion euros after it completed a secondary share sale for 340 million euros.

As BNS reported earlier, Vinted Group, the owner of Vinted, posted a 36 percent increase in revenue to 813.4 million euros for 2024 as its net profit surged by 330 percent to 76.7 million euros and adjusted EBITDA more than doubled to 158.9 million euros,.

Vinted launched operations in Croatia, Greece, and Ireland last year and plans to expand further into new markets this year.

Vinted Go expanded its logistics operations, with plans for further expansion into Spain and Portugal this year.

Vinted is currently setting up a dedicated investment fund, Vinted Ventures, which will focus on investing in the next generation of business founders and start-ups across the re-commerce value chain

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Europe has greatest responsibility to help Ukraine – Lithuanian PM after US-Russia talks

VILNIUS, May 20, BNS - Europe has the main role to play in helping Ukraine, Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas says after the Monday call between US President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin.

"Europe has the greatest responsibility to help Ukraine. And Europe has to come together, make the necessary decisions, both on sanctions and on aid, and help Ukraine defend its sovereignty," Paluckas told reporters at the Seimas on Tuesday.

He says he clearly sees Russia's desire to push the US out of the negotiation process.

The prime minister hopes that "the Americans will not withdraw their military and intelligence assistance".

"Meanwhile, a ceasefire or peace talks are a separate issue. Even if the Americans withdraw, the vacuum will have to be filled by the new European leaders (Friedrich - BNS) Merz, (Giorgia - BNS) Meloni and (Emmanuel - BNS) Macron," he added.

On Monday, following his phone conversation with Russian leader Vladimir Putin, Trump said that Moscow and Kiev would immediately start ceasefire talks.

For his part, Putin said he had a meaningful conversation with Trump on ending the war in Ukraine and said Moscow would propose a memorandum in which it would be ready to cooperate with Kyiv and set out its positions on a possible peace agreement.

By Karina Vladičkė

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Working groups to search for training area site, more news in coming weeks – vice minister

VILNIUS, May 20, BNS - Working groups will start a search for specific locations for a brigade-size training area in southern or eastern Lithuania, and information on timeframes regarding further work will be provided in the coming weeks, Defense Vice Minister Orijana Masale says.

"We have received military advice that the need would be greatest in southern and eastern Lithuania. Now, specific groups will soon start working on the search for those very specific areas," she told BNS.

"Once they start their work, we will be able to talk about specific deadlines. (...) Within a couple of weeks, the whole process will have a map, a time map, that time axis will be clearer," she said.

With the growing number of allied troops in Lithuania, the rising number of conscripts and reserves and the acquisition of new military equipment, Lithuania's national defense system is looking for a site to set up a new brigade-sized military training area.

Last week, President Gitanas Nauseda said two potential sites are currently being considered for a brigade-size training area in eastern and southern Lithuania, but other options are also on the table.

Over the coming weeks, the Defense Ministry plans meetings with representatives of local municipalities to discuss their expectations regarding plans to establish a training area in their region.

"Right now, we have received a list of expectations from municipalities and we are analyzing it," Masale said.

In 2023, the State Defense Council proposed setting up a military training area in Lithuania, suitable for training a brigade-sized unit, but this plan has not yet gone ahead.

Last fall, the Seimas decided to set up new training areas in Taurage and Silale Districts, but they will be smaller and will be used only for maneuvers.

By Karolina Ambrazaitytė

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Lithuanian MPs accept tax package for further debate, but without real estate tax (updates)

VILNIUS, May 20, BNS – Lithuanian lawmakers on Tuesday accepted eight tax bills for further consideration, but without real estate tax, after 70 MPs voted in favor of accepting 8 of the 9 bills, while 50 MPs voted against.

Lawmakers only refused to accept the proposed amendments to the Law on Immovable Property Tax, which would allow local municipalities to set tax thresholds and specific real estate tax rates ranging between 0.1 percent and 1 percent. 62 MPs voted in favor of accepting these amendments for further consideration, 40 were against and 24 abstained.

The accepted amendments will be further discussed on June 3-10.

Following this decision, Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas says he will have a serious discussion with one of the coalition partners, the Nemunas Dawn party, whose MPs did not support the bill.

Paluckas also calls the vote a minor misunderstanding and says it will be corrected on Thursday and does not rule out that the bill will be slightly adjusted to take the comments of the coalition partners into account.

Presenting the amendments to the Law on Immovable Property Tax, Finance Minister Rimantas Sadzius said that the bill was one of the hottest issues within the tax package, pointing out that the final version was a wise and "win-win" one, with a minimal impact on economic life.

The tax package includes three progressive personal income tax rates, including 20 percent and 32 percent and a new 25 percent rate.

In addition, the bill proposes increasing the corporate income tax rate by 1 percentage point to 17 percent, to tax all non-life insurance contracts, with the exception of third-party liability insurance for private cars, and to introduce a "sugar tax".

The amendments are to be adopted by July to come into force from next year.

The proposed package of tax changes is expected to raise an additional 278.8 million euros for the state budget in 2026 and 551.9 million euros in 2027. The bulk of these funds will be earmarked for national defense.

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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Non-democratic world rep is winning – Lithuanian PM after Trump-Putin call

VILNIUS, May 20, BNS – A representative of the non-democratic world is winning in this situation, Speaker of the Lithuanian Seimas Saulius Skvernelis says after the Monday phone all between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

"There's no progress, which is the most worrying thing. It seems that there is a stalemate (in the US - BNS) and in this process, which is going on without progress, there's only one winner and it's not a representative of the democratic world," Skvernelis told reporters on Tuesday.

After the phone call with Putin on Monday, Trump said that Moscow and Kyiv would immediately start ceasefire talks.

For his part, Putin said he had a meaningful conversation with Trump on ending the war in Ukraine and said Moscow would propose a memorandum in which it would be ready to cooperate with Kyiv and set out its positions on a possible peace agreement.

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Lithuania's lawyers say Veolia ran corruption scheme, unlawfully transferred EUR 16 mln 

VILNIUS, May 20, BNS – As Lithuania seeks 241 million euros in damages from Veolia and its former partners in the leasing of heating utilities of Vilnius and other cities, the state's lawyers claim the French energy group, through its partners, set up a corruption financing scheme, pressured authorities and profited at consumers' expense.

Vilius Bernatonis of TGS Baltic, a law firm representing the Energy Ministry in the case, told the Vilnius Regional Court on Tuesday that Veolia used local partners to transfer around 16 million euros to offshore companies abroad for work and services that were never provided.

"They (Veolia) created a corruption financing scheme for those partners, making payments for fictitious work and services. They transferred 16 million euros to Lithuanian companies under Icor – then known as Rubicon – and to foreign offshore companies' schemes," he told the court. 

According to the lawyer, Veolia's representatives exerted influence on municipal officials responsible for decision-making, which helped the French group take control of district heating and electricity generation companies in ten municipalities across the country.

TGS Baltic's partner Gaile Juozapaityte, another lawyer representing the state, said Veolia had secured some municipal heating lease contracts even before public tenders were announced.

She also claimed that direct payments to Rubicon's offshore entities ultimately ended up with Arturas Zuokas, the then-mayor of Vilnius.

The lawyer said there is "an exceptionally large amount" of evidence showing how the defendants influenced the heating tender process. 

"There are payments to responsible individuals. We have transcripts of phone calls clearly discussing money transfers. Mr. Janukonis asking (...) 'Did you understand that we'll be paying the money,' and so on," she told the court.

According to Juozapaityte, the defendants – Veolia Environnement, Veolia Energie International, Vilniaus Energija, Litesko, Icor, Icor shareholder Andrius Janukonis, Linas Samuolis and Zuokas – made sure that supervisory authorities did not interfere with their profit-making scheme, and unsubstantiated corporate expenses and costs were passed on to consumers through heating rates. 

Ramunas Kontrauskas, another lawyer from TGS Baltic, said Veolia and Rubicon, acting directly and through Janukonis, Samuolis and Zuokas, used corrupt practices to secure the lease of Vilnius' heating network for the French group's companies.

"In other words, the defendants were able to manipulate not only through the Vilnius municipality, but also through Zuokas and other politicians, and through Litesko and Vilniaus Energija," he told the court.

According to Kontrauskas, the defendants carried out various profiteering schemes: for example, Veolia paid itself management fees for services allegedly provided by Litesko and Vilniaus Energija that were never actually delivered. These fees were then included in heating prices.

Tuesday's hearing was the second of four scheduled in May after the Vilnius Regional Court began examining the case on its merits.

Lithuania seeks to prove that Veolia and Icor illegally secured district heating lease contracts in ten municipalities between 1999 and 2003 and unlawfully profited from heat consumers.

Veolia, for its part, says that actions by Lithuanian authorities violated the bilateral investment protection treaty between France and Lithuania. The company claims that its investments suffered due to unfair treatment by Lithuanian politicians and regulators and is seeking 79 million euros in damages at the International Center for Settlement of Investment Disputes (ICSID) in Washington.

 

Editor: Roma Pakėnienė

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EU should already be working on 18th package as Russia stalls for time – Lithuanian FM

VILNIUS, May 20, BNS – Having just adopted its 17th sanction package, the European Union should already be working on a new one, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys says, adding that Russia is not taking peace talks seriously and is trying to stall for time.

"The performance that he showed us not once, and it is called deception disruption distraction and delay, and the whole point of it is to avoid the sanctions and to strengthen the grip and the control of the situation," Budrys told reporters in Brussels as he attended a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

"We, Europeans, have to stop this vicious cycle and the instrument to stop it is to impose new sanctions. The 17th package that we agreed today that's for the yesterday, and we have to look forward what's in front of us and start preparing the 18th package right now, today, at this Council meeting," Lithuania's top diplomat said.

The 17th package imposes targeted sanctions against another 17 individuals and 58 entities responsible for acts that undermine or threaten Ukraine's territorial integrity, sovereignty and independence.

The package additionally sanctions 189 vessels from third countries, used by Russia as its shadow fleet to circumvent the existing sanctions on Russian oil and gas and to finance aggression against Ukraine. In total, the EU has sanctioned 342 vessels.

Budrys reiterated Lithuania's ambition to have companies related to energy, natural gas and oil, as well as financial institutions sanctioned in the new package, adding that, there's currently no evidence that the existing sanctions have not impacted the Russian economy, but their effectiveness is limited due to a lack of resolve.

"The same is happening with the shadow fleet as less than half of the vessels of the shadow fleet are sanctioned. The same is with the energy as we know where the income is coming from into Russia's budget. This is the exports of oil. We still are not touching them because Europe is still importing Russian oil products and natural gas through pipelines and through LNG," the minister said.

"So we have to stop this if we want to make an impact. If we want to imitate and we were to just pretend that we are making the impact, then it's okay and Putin is laughing at us and we have to stop this," the foreign minister said.

The latest EU sanctions against the Kremlin have been several weeks in the making and were adopted by the bloc last week.

By Paulius Perminas

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Court upholds EUR 14 mln fine for Biovarda over sanctions breach

VILNIUS, May 20, BNS – A court has upheld a nearly 14-million-euro fine imposed last year on Biovarda, a Vilnius-based vehicle exporter, for breaching international sanctions.

The Regional Administrative Court on Tuesday ruled that decisions by the Vilnius Territorial Customs and the Customs Department regarding Biovarda's violations were lawful and well-founded. It dismissed the company's appeal as unfounded.

"After examining the case materials, the court concluded that both the inspection report and the decision of the Customs Department correctly established that the submitted export declarations did not match the actual recipients and final destinations of the goods," the court said.

According to the court, the customs authorities provided sufficient evidence that the sanctioned vehicles ended up in Russia, while the company was responsible for ensuring that they did not enter the sanctioned country

"Such actions are to be regarded as a circumvention of sanctions," the court said. 

Last August, the customs authorities fined Biovarda 13.6 million euros. The company challenged the decision in court, arguing that it was baseless and lacked justification.

Investigation data available to BNS indicate that more than 200 vehicles exported by the company via Lithuania to Kazakhstan, Belarus and Turkey were registered in Russia, probably before even reaching those countries. Six vehicles that were seized had been purchased by a Belarusian company.

 

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Lithuanian MPs refused to consider amendments to natl minority law

VILNIUS, May 20, BNS – Lithuanian lawmakers on Tuesday refused to consider a proposal by several representatives of the Electoral Action of Poles in Lithuania – Christian Families Alliance to amend the Law on National Minorities, which entered into force in January, by allowing bilingual signs and the spelling of personal names with diacritics.

The MPs backed the Committee on Legal Affairs' conclusion that that some of the proposed amendments were unconstitutional.

EAPL-CFA members Rita Tamasuniene, Ceslav Olsevski and Jaroslav Narkevic proposed allowing the use of the language of a national minority at municipal institutions and for residents to receive answers in their language in municipalities with a national minority makes up at least 10 percent of the population.

The mentioned lawmakers also sought amendments to the Law on the Spelling of the Name and Surname in Documents and proposed allowing the spelling of personal names and surnames in documents, using the Latin alphabet with diacritical marks, as the existing law provides that the name and surname can be written in the Latin alphabet without diacritical marks.

The Seimas Committee on Legal Affairs said these specific proposals were unconstitutional. The conclusion was backed by 77 lawmakers, four voted against and nine abstained.

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Upcoming events in Lithuania for Wednesday, May 201, 2025

VILNIUS, May 21, BNS – The following events are scheduled in Lithuania for Wednesday, May 21, 2025:

Members of the SEIMAS Group for Inter-Parliamentary Relations with Hungary to meet with representatives of the Hungarian Embassy and a guest from Hungary at 4 p.m.

PRIME MINISTER Gintautas Paluckas to meet with Boris Rhein, minister-president of Hesse, at 2 p.m.

SOCIAL SECURITY AND LABOR MINISTER Inga Ruginiene to pay a visit to Ukraine.

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Lithuanian FM on peace talks: either we admit our impotence or finally move forward

VILNIUS, May 20, BNS – It's time for Europe to say that it’s running out of patience and it should take the lead in helping Ukraine, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys says.

"It seems to me that the time has come to talk about Europe's patience, that it has certain limits, that the bottom is already visible. Let's stand on that bottom, let's say 'enough' and let's take the initiative into our own hands," the minister told reporters on Tuesday in Brussels as he attends a meeting of EU foreign ministers.

"All the more so because ten days ago the European quartet (...) told (Vladimir - BNS) Putin to accept an unconditional ceasefire or get sanctions," he said after the Monday phone call between US President Donald Trump and Russian leader Vladimir Putin.

"It's either we are all here without any instruments and without any mandate, and let's declare our impotence and close that meeting, or let's finally move forward. Because if not now, I don't know what else would have to happen. We are talking about a cold shower, this is not a cold shower, we are in freezing water and we are about to drown."

If the EU does not deliver on its promise to impose further sanctions, no one will believe in further threats from European countries and will not comply with the demands made.

"We threatened to do it, so let's do it. Because I cannot see how anyone can take us seriously next time," Budrys said. "They are making fun of us already."

Lithuania's top diplomat is also annoyed by the Council's stalling initiatives.

"There are 16 initiatives that I have talked about during the last six Councils, so we have progress in one of them, and that its not even related to the EU, not related to the Special Tribunal," the minister said.

According to Budrys, the European Peace Facility has been forgotten, which was supposed to provide 6.6 billion euros in support to Ukraine, but was blocked by Hungary: "Everybody has forgotten about it and nobody even mentions it anymore, it no longer exists."

Budrys reiterated that the EU, which adopted its 17thsancton package on Tuesday, should already be working on a new and much tighter sanction package.

"Let's make the 18th (sanction package - BNS) serious, mature and one that could change the situation. Otherwise, we are not going at the pace we set, not on the path we set, we are going after, we are choosing the consequences and we are hearing reports that this is not our war, but someone else's war," the minister said.

Budrys says the new sanction package should be drawn up without looking at partners.

"I think we need to do what we need to do and then talk to the Americans about how we can synchronize these things (sanctions - BNS)," Lithuania's top diplomats said. "The US remains the key force that is consolidating Europe on sanctions. It is absolutely pathetic where we are."

By Karolina Ambrazaitytė

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NATO jets in Baltics scrambled 4 times over Russian aircraft last week

VILNIUS, May 20, BNS – NATO fighter jets policing Baltic airspace were scrambled four times last week to intercept Russian aircraft flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea in violation of flight rules, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry said on Monday.

On May 12, NATO jets took off to identify a Russian IL-20 reconnaissance aircraft, and later on were scrambled to intercept a SU-30SM.

On May 13, NATO jets intercepted Russians SU-30SM twice.

The Russian planes were flying in international airspace with their onboard transponders off, without flight plans and were not maintaining contact with the regional traffic control center.

The NATO Baltic air policing mission is carried out from Lithuania and Estonia.

 

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