Vilnius, December 15 (ELTA) – The State Defence Council (VGT) has approved the creation of a training area for brigade-level forces in the southern Lazdijai municipality, the president’s chief security adviser said Monday.

“A decision has been made to approve the establishment of a brigade-sized training area in Kapčiamiestis in the Lazdijai municipality,” Deividas Matulionis told reporters after a VGT sitting, adding that the site was chosen as “the most suitable location” from a military and security standpoint. 

He said the area lies in the Suwalki Gap bordering Poland and Belarus, a corridor to which “Lithuania, Poland and NATO will pay special attention”.

The VGT also decided to double the size of the Tauragė training area by expanding it into neighbouring Jurbarkas municipality. 

“It has also been decided to expand the existing Tauragė training area to the Jurbarkas municipality, doubling its area,” Matulionis said.

“The president thanks the mayors of Lazdijai and Jurbarkas for their constructive cooperation,” he said.

The adviser added that the Kapčiamiestis site would cover about 14,600 hectares and assured that local authorities would be consulted on construction and operations. 

Minister of National Defence Robertas Kaunas said investments of around EUR 140–150 million were planned, with the facilities expected to be fully operational by 2030.

Vilnius, December 15 (ELTA) – EU foreign ministers on Monday approved the extension of the European Union’s (EU) sanctions regime against Belarus, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported.

Lithuania’s proposal adds three additional criteria to the EU sanctions regime against Belarus, namely, for hybrid attacks, disruption of critical infrastructure, disinformation, and information manipulation actions. Based on these criteria, the EU will have the basis to impose additional individual and sectoral sanctions on Belarus, according to the ministry.

“I am glad that Lithuania has achieved its goal of adding criteria for hybrid activities to the EU sanctions regime against Belarus. This provides the EU with the tools to respond effectively and rigorously to malicious activities now and in the future. With this decision, the EU has demonstrated not only its ability to mobilise politically in the face of challenges, but also to take the necessary decisions,” Budrys said in Brussels.

Vilnius, December 15 (ELTA) – As the ruling coalition intends to amend the Law on the Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) to facilitate the dismissal of its director general, the community of journalists and culture representatives announced a three-day protest near Parliament this week.

“We will not remain silent or allow quietly destroying the foundations of our country and independent media. We see no other way but holding continuous protests near the Seimas,” Chairwoman of the Association of Professional Journalists Birutė Davidonytė wrote on social network Facebook.

Demonstrations near Parliament will take place on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday starting at 6 p.m.

As reported, last Wednesday, representatives of the Social Democratic Party (LSDP), the Nemunas Dawn and the Farmers and Greens Union (LVŽS) registered new amendments to LRT law facilitating the dismissal of its director general.

On Thursday, the bill was considered as a matter of urgency and deliberations will continue this week.

The amendments would allow holding a secret ballot on LRT director general’s dismissal, which would be possible if it is supported by more than half of members of LRT Council, i.e. at least by 7 out of 12.

The draft law in question was registered in the Seimas despite a previous protest on 9 December that attracted more than 10,000 demonstrators.

Vilnius, December 15 (ELTA) – Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Kęstutis Budrys hopes that Belarus will solve the problem with contraband balloons as Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko promised this to US special envoy John Coale when Belarus released 123 prisoners.

“We have a confirmation that this was discussed and the special envoy publicly said after returning from Minsk that a promise was given to deal with this problem,” Budrys told public radio LRT on Monday.

“The expectation is that appropriate action will be taken on the Belarusian side and disruptions of our critical infrastructure and civil aviation will stop,” said the foreign minister.

According to the head of Lithuania’s diplomacy, if Belarus were to break its promise and undermine great efforts of Donald Trump to solve issues with Belarus, then it would face consequences from the USA.

However, he says the US decision to lift sanctions on Belarusian fertilisers does not affect EU sanctions or Lithuania’s decisions on trade with Belarus or transit of Belarusian goods through Lithuania.

As reported, Lukashenko has reached an agreement with Trump and pardoned 123 prisoners from various countries, who were released on Saturday. In return, the USA lifted sanctions on Belarusian potash fertilisers. Nine of the prisoners were transported to Lithuania, while the rest were taken to Ukraine.

Meteo balloons smuggling cigarettes from Belarus to Lithuania have prompted closure of Vilnius Airport multiple times since October due to aviation safety concerns, leading to delayed or cancelled flights.

As a result, at the end of October, Lithuania temporarily closed its border with Belarus but the latter responded by preventing Lithuanian-registered trucks from leaving the country. Although the border was reopened on 19 November, Belarus refused to release the trucks.

Vilnius, December 15 (ELTA) – NATO Air Policing fighter aircraft were scrambled seven times last week, on 8–14 December, in response to violations of international flight regulations made by Russian aircraft, the Ministry of National Defence has said.

On 19 and 11 December, NATO fighter jets took off to identify SU-30s that flew through international airspace from Kaliningrad Region and back.

On 11 December, the jets were dispatched to identify an IL-20 flying from Kaliningrad Region and back as well.

The Russian planes had no pre-filled flight plans, their onboard transponders were switched off and their crews did not maintain any radio communication with the regional air traffic control.   

On 12 December, Friday, NATO fighter jets were scrambled several times to identify Russian military aircraft flying in international airspace over the Baltic Sea, including an IL-76, an IL-20, a Su-30, an An-72 and two Su-35s. Most of the aircraft were operating without flight plans, their onboard transponders were switched off and they did not respond to regional air traffic control.

The NATO Air Policing Mission in the Baltic States is flown from the Lithuanian Air Force Base in Šiauliai. Other detachments deployed to Latvia, Poland and Estonia augment the NATO Baltic Air Policing.

Vilnius, December 15 (ELTA) – President Gitanas Nausėda on Monday met with Ales Bialiatski, a prominent Belarusian dissident, human rights defender and laureate of the Nobel Peace Prize 2022, his office said in a press release.

“We were greatly relieved to hear that, after many years of unjust imprisonment, you are finally free. Your endurance, moral strength, and unwavering commitment to human dignity – even in the darkest hours – inspire us all,” the president said.

President Nausėda noted that Lithuania has always supported and will continue to support the efforts of the United States to release all political prisoners in Belarus. 

“At the same time, we consistently emphasise that the Belarusian regime must put an end to all political repressions and not to start new ones; that democratic, free, and fair elections must be held in Belarus; and that any support by the Lukashenko regime for Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine must stop,” the Lithuanian leader said.

The meeting was also attended by Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, leader of the Belarusian democratic opposition.

Vilnius, December 15 (ELTA) – NATO’s counter-hybrid support team will arrive in Lithuania this week to assess actions by Belarus under President Alexander Lukashenko, Deputy Foreign Minister Audra Plepytė said Monday.

"A preliminary NATO support group for countering hybrid threats will visit this week to evaluate how Lithuania has responded to these attacks,” Plepytė told reporters at the Government.

She noted that this visit is a precursor to a full NATO expert team, scheduled for early next year, which will conduct a comprehensive evaluation of the hybrid threats targeting Lithuania.

“This advance team is not the full group. The main team will arrive early next year for a detailed assessment, examining actions taken against Lithuania and NATO-wide measures,” Plepytė said. 

“They will meet with relevant institutions, focusing on issues such as smuggling balloons,” she added.

Earlier Monday, Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys confirmed that Lukashenko pledged to halt the smuggling of balloons into Lithuania, which Vilnius views as a hybrid attack, in talks with US envoy John Coale.

Vilnius, December 15 (ELTA) – Sustainable Fitch has provided its Second-Party Opinion on Investments for the Lithuanian Economy’s (ILTE) secured green standard bond framework, ILTE, national development bank said in a press release. Sustainable Fitch considers the framework to be aligned with the ICMA Green Bond Principles 2025; their view is that the framework’s alignment is ‘Good’.

ILTE is Lithuania’s national development bank. It is wholly owned by the state of Lithuania with the Ministry of Finance representing the rights of the sole shareholder. ILTE's objectives are to promote the sustainable development of the country's economy, increase its resilience and improve access to financing, whether acting directly or in collaboration with other financial market participants.

Under its framework, ILTE may issue secured green bonds via SPVs, backed by portfolios of multi-apartment building renovation loans. The sole eligible category is multi-apartment building renovation loans for energy-efficiency improvements. Proceeds will be used exclusively for new renovation loans that meet defined eligibility criteria, including a minimum 40% reduction in thermal energy demand and an energy performance certificate of class B or higher for projects. Cultural heritage buildings are included with a requirement for a 25% reduction in thermal energy demand.

Sustainable Fitch considers it positive that the eligible use of proceeds category contributes directly to UN Sustainable Development Goals 7 (affordable and clean energy), 9 (industry, innovation and infrastructure) and 11 (sustainable cities and communities). The framework’s processes for project evaluation and selection, management of proceeds and disclosure are clearly described and are in line with the ICMA principles. ILTE’s commitment to providing annual reporting until full allocation on allocation and impact, which will be verified by the national environmental agency, supports transparency.

Vilnius, December 15 (ELTA) – President Gitanas Nausėda will participate in the Eastern Flank Summit in Helsinki on Tuesday, his office has said.

The meeting, initiated by Finnish Prime Minister Petteri Orpo, will be attended by the leaders of Finland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, Sweden, Bulgaria, and Romania. 

The leaders are set to discuss strengthening the security of the eastern flank and the concept of the Eastern Flank Watch initiative. A joint press conference of the leaders is scheduled after the meeting, according to the presidency.

Vilnius, December 15 (ELTA) – The prime ministers of Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia met in Riga on Friday for talks under the Baltic Council of Ministers, focusing on regional cooperation and unity in the face of shared security challenges, the Government’s press service said in a statement.

“Hybrid threats in our region and across Europe are intensifying, and their spectrum is broad – ranging from disinformation to airspace violations and disruption of civil aviation, cyberattacks, and the instrumentalisation of migration. We are united in our understanding of how we must act: by strengthening the resilience of the Baltic States, intensifying data sharing, further consolidating our efforts, and responding in a coordinated and rapid manner,” Prime Minister Ruginienė said.

Such coordination and cooperation with partners are also particularly important in responding to Belarus’ hybrid attacks, which deliberately create risks to international aviation security through the use of balloons carrying contraband, while passengers and airlines suffer significant losses and inconvenience.

The prime ministers of the Baltic States discussed the strengthening of NATO’s eastern flank in cooperation with Allies and through EU defence and security initiatives, while underlining the importance of transatlantic unity.

The role of the United States is of particular importance in contributing to regional security, Prime Minister Ruginienė stressed. Lithuania is grateful to US President Donald Trump and his administration and highly values the presence of US troops in the region as well as long-standing cooperation.

Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia maintain a united and unwavering position: Ukraine’s struggle and its outcome are a matter of security for the region and for Europe as a whole. This understanding underpins their ongoing and growing support.

The Baltic States will continue comprehensive support for the country under attack and will further urge partners to take the necessary decisions to ensure that Ukraine receives all the assistance it needs, while pressure on Russia and countries complicit in its aggression increases.

In discussing EU agenda issues, attention was given to the EU’s multiannual financial framework and enlargement. The heads of government emphasised that without the EU membership of Ukraine and Moldova, the project of a secure and prosperous Europe will not be complete.

Another important part of the prime ministers’ meeting agenda was the development of regional infrastructure. Rail Baltica is a strategic project for the entire region, vital for connectivity, military mobility, and economic growth. Therefore, as negotiations on the new EU multiannual financial framework approach, the Baltic States must jointly seek to ensure sustainable and sufficient financial support for the project.

Ruginienė thanked Latvian Prime Minister Siliņa for her smooth and effective chairmanship of the Baltic Council of Ministers this year and wished success to Michal and Estonia, which will assume the chairmanship in 2026.

Vilnius, December 15 (ELTA) – Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said Monday she held a video call with three Belarusian opposition figures who were among the 123 political prisoners released by Minsk over the weekend.

“Had the opportunity to speak with Belarusian opposition leaders Maria Kalesnikava, Viktor Babaryka, and Maksim Znak – political prisoners released from a Belarusian jail where they should never have been,” Ruginienė said on X on Monday.

“The US President’s administration did tremendous work, thanks to which they can return to their families. The total number of unjustly imprisoned people in Belarus, as of today, is more than 1,100. Even one political prisoner is one too many,” she emphasised. 

Belarusian strongman Alexander Lukashenko granted clemency to citizens of several countries following talks with the United States, at Washington’s request. Among those freed were key opposition figures, including 2020 protest organiser Maria Kalesnikava and 2022 Nobel Peace Prize laureate Ales Bialiatski.

A convoy carrying freed detainees arrived at the US embassy in Vilnius on Saturday, where Bialiatski thanked American diplomats for their role in the negotiations. US special envoy John Coale, who was also seen in Vilnius, said Washington lifted sanctions on Belarusian potash fertilisers following two-day talks in Minsk.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said two Lithuanian citizens, jailed in Belarus since 2024 on fabricated charges, were among those released. Nine former prisoners were taken to Lithuania, while more than 100 were transferred to Ukraine. 

Germany said it would accept Kalesnikava and former presidential candidate Viktar Babaryk.

Vilnius, December 15 (ELTA) – The opposition will continue boycotting parliamentary sittings as the ruling coalition deliberates amendments to the Law on the Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT) in fast-track procedure. The opposition will also consider a no confidence motion against Parliament Speaker Juozas Olekas over potential violations of the Statute of the Seimas when the bill was tabled.

“We will not participate in sittings of the Seimas and committees, with the exception of registering for sittings and voting on matters of state importance and presentation of our proposals,” MP Laurynas Kasčiūnas, chairman of the Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats (TS-LKD), said at a press conference on Monday.

According to him, Seimas Speaker Olekas is personally responsible for what is happening, therefore, the opposition will seriously consider launching a motion of no confidence.

Moreover, lawmakers media freedom lawmakers will propose holding an extraordinary session on 12 January to discuss potential changes at public broadcaster LRT.

They do not rule out appealing to the Constitutional Court over fast-tracking of amendments to law on LRT.

In turn, MP Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, leader of the Liberal Movement, said that European parties would be addressed and informed about the Social Democratic Party’s (LSDP) steps concerning Lithuanian media and democracy in general.

As reported, despite a large protest against amendments to the law on public broadcaster LRT on 9 December, the ruling coalition consisting of the LSDP, the Nemunas Dawn and the Farmers and Greens party (LVŽS) registered new amendments the next day and started considering them as a matter of urgency.

If the law is changed, LRT Council could hold a secret ballot to dismiss the director general. More than a half of votes, i.e. at least 7 out of 12, would be sufficient for the dismissal instead of two thirds of votes, i.e. 8 out of 12, a provision that has existed since 2000s. 

The director general could be fired if the Council decides that functions were performed improperly or if it does not confirm the annual report.

Journalists, representatives of the culture sector and their supporters concerned about the fate of media freedom plan a three-day protest near Parliament on 16-18 December.