Press Releases

Russia Pushes Back on Lithuania’s Transit Restrictions

(MENAFN) The Russian Foreign Ministry has issued a stern warning to Lithuania against pursuing "provocative steps" regarding transit access to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova declared on Wednesday that there should...

Lukashenko responds to Lithuania’s closing border with Belarus

(MENAFN) Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday denounced Lithuania’s decision to shut its border with Belarus indefinitely, calling it a “crazy scam.” The move came a day after Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene announced...

Lukashenko Condemns Lithuania’s Border Closure Plans

(MENAFN) Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko on Tuesday criticized Lithuania’s intentions to seal the border between the two nations, calling the move a “crazy scam.” The announcement came after Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene...

Lithuania Announces Indefinite Belarus Border Shutdown

(MENAFN) Lithuania's Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene declared Monday that the nation will indefinitely seal its frontier with Belarus and authorize military forces to destroy any balloons breaching its airspace, responding to four separate...

Lithuania seeks to close Belarus border for unspecified period

(MENAFN) Lithuania has announced plans to indefinitely close its border with Belarus and authorize the military to shoot down any balloons entering its airspace, after a series of aerial incursions disrupted air travel and border operations over...

Lithuania Declares Closing Border with Belarus

(MENAFN) On Monday, Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene announced plans to indefinitely close the country’s border with Belarus and take immediate action against any balloons violating its airspace. This decision comes after four...

Lithuania announces plans to shut down Belarus border

(MENAFN) Lithuania has announced plans to indefinitely close its border with Belarus and to authorize its military to shoot down balloons that enter its airspace, following a series of recent incursions, according to reports on Monday. Prime...

Lithuania Accuses Russia of Violating Its Airspace

(MENAFN) Lithuania has accused Russia of briefly violating its airspace when two military aircraft crossed from the Kaliningrad region on Thursday evening. The incident occurred near the town of Kybartai, close to the border with Russia's...

Lithuania closes airports, border crossings with Belarus over balloon incursions

(MENAFN) Lithuania took decisive action on Friday, closing its two largest airports and sealing its border crossings with Belarus after a third incident this month involving helium weather balloons entering Lithuanian airspace. The Vilnius and...

Lithuania Temporarily Shuts Airports, Borders

(MENAFN) Lithuania temporarily closed its two main airports and sealed its border crossings with Belarus on Friday after helium-filled weather balloons entered its airspace for the third time this month. Authorities confirmed that the Vilnius and...

Lithuania shuts down two main airports after helium balloons smuggling

(MENAFN) Lithuania has temporarily suspended operations at its two main airports and closed all crossings with Belarus after a series of helium balloons once again breached its airspace this month. Authorities announced that both Vilnius and...

Lithuania Locks Down Airports After Belarus Balloon Breach

(MENAFN) Lithuania closed its two largest airports and sealed border crossings with Belarus on Friday after helium weather balloons entered its airspace for a third time this month. The Vilnius and Kaunas airports were shuttered for safety until 2...

Lithuanian Defense Minister Resigns

(MENAFN) Lithuania's Defense Minister, Dovile Sakaliene, has announced her resignation following a week-long conflict with Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene regarding the nation's military spending. The disagreement originated from an informal meeting...

Lithuanian Defense Minister steps down after week-long rift with PM

(MENAFN) Lithuania’s Defense Minister, Dovile Sakaliene, has resigned after a tense disagreement with Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene regarding the nation’s defense spending plans, according to reports. The conflict reportedly originated from a...

Lithuanian PM warns of boarder closure with Belarus

(MENAFN) Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene has threatened to shut the country’s border with Belarus following reports of balloons carrying contraband cigarettes crossing into Lithuanian territory, according to local media. “If such balloons...

Moscow refutes allegations of entering Lithuania’s airspace

(MENAFN) Russia’s Defense Ministry has dismissed recent claims that its military aircraft violated Lithuanian airspace, a pattern echoed in accusations from other NATO and EU countries in recent weeks. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda alleged...

Lithuania Criticizes German Chancellor for ‘Justifying’ Russia Policy

(MENAFN) Lithuania’s top presidential adviser has sharply criticized former German Chancellor Angela Merkel for her recent remarks defending her administration’s Russia strategy, accusing her of attempting to excuse past policy failures toward...

PM of Lithuania accuses defense ministry of deceiving public

(MENAFN) Lithuania’s government is facing internal tensions over its record military budget for 2026 after the prime minister accused the defense ministry of misleading the public about the planned military spending. The draft budget, which...

Disputes rise in Lithuania’s ruling party over draft 2026 budget

(MENAFN) Tensions have surfaced within Lithuania’s ruling party over the country’s draft 2026 budget, after the prime minister accused the defense ministry of misleading the public about planned military expenditures. The government recently...

Lithuanian Culture Minister Steps Down

(MENAFN) Lithuania’s culture chief stepped down just a week into the role following public outrage sparked by his reluctance to clarify Crimea's status. The Crimean Peninsula and four additional former Ukrainian territories held referendums in...