Vilnius, April 20 (ELTA) – Lithuania understands the threats posed by hostile states and is stepping up preparations for potential challenges, focussing on air defences, Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said Monday.

“Threats from Russia and Belarus are not new to us. We discuss them almost every day. There are various provocations, from balloons to other incidents,” she told reporters during a visit to the Kaunas district.

“We fully understand the geographical environment we live in. The reality has already changed with the war in Ukraine, and a new security reality is emerging for the Baltic States,” she said.

Lithuania has been accelerating defence efforts since last year, according to the prime minister.

“We are speeding up processes to the maximum of our capabilities – in defence planning, procurement and reprioritisation. Plans drawn up earlier are clearly subject to change,” Ruginienė said.

She added that NATO’s security plans will be updated this year to reflect current conditions.

“Lithuania places particular emphasis on air defence, as we see the nature of war beyond our borders. We must be prepared,” she said.

The opposition said last week it would to ask the State Defence Council (VGT) to oblige the Government to prepare for various scenarios of Lithuania’s defence. 

The initiative emerged after Prime Minister Ruginienė did not answer the opposition’s questions regarding her claims that Lithuania has defence plans A, B and C, which she mentioned a few months ago.

Vilnius, April 20 (ELTA) – Minister of Foreign Affairs Kęstutis Budrys on Saturday participated in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum and called on NATO countries to meet the 5% of GDP defence spending target earlier than by 2035.

“At the NATO summit in Ankara, all countries of the Alliance must demonstrate genuine transatlantic unity by consistently strengthening their defence capabilities, increasing defence funding and implementing the commitments made in The Hague, which would allow achieving the 5% of GDP target faster,” said Budrys.

In Türkiye, Budrys also met with NATO Deputy Secretary General Radmila Shekerinska, with whom he discussed preparation for the upcoming NATO summit in Ankara.

At the meeting, the head of Lithuania’s diplomacy emphasised the importance of transatlantic ties and strong NATO defence and deterrence posture.

The minister and the NATO deputy secretary general also participated in the Antalya Diplomacy Forum discussion entitled “Securing Europe: Unity and Strategic Renewal towards the NATO Ankara Summit”.

As reported, in June 2025, NATO countries agreed on 5% of the gross domestic product (GDP) defence spending target by 2035.

Vilnius, April 20 (ELTA) – Former presidents of Lithuania had the highest approval ratings in March, shows a poll commissioned by ELTA.

The poll carried out by Baltijos tyrimai shows that the approval rating of former Presidents Valdas Adamkus and Dalia Grybauskaitė stands at 84% and 63% respectively.

Farmers and Greens party (LVŽS) leader Aurelijus Veryga is third on with 46% approval, followed by public figure, founder of Laisvės TV, Andrius Tapinas (45%) and incumbent President Gitanas Nausėda (45%).

Sixth is Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys (44%), followed by journalist Edmundas Jakilaitis (43%), LVŽS lawmaker Valius Ąžuolas (42%), Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė (41%) and Social Democratic leader Mindaugas Sinkevičius (39%) closing the top ten.

Politicians with the highest disapproval rating include former Conservative (TS-LKD) leader Gabrielius Landsbergis (77%), former chairman of the Supreme Council-Reconstituent Seimas Vytautas Landsbergis (69%) and former LSDP leader MEP Vilija Blinkevičiūtė (68%).

Public opinion and market research company Baltijos tyrimai carried out the poll on 19–30 March 2026 across 110 polling locations. 1,009 Lithuanian residents aged 18 and over were interviewed. The margin of error is 3.1%.

Vilnius, April 20 (ELTA) – The State Border Guard Service (VSAT) reports that in the last three days 17–19 April it stopped 38 irregular migrants from crossing the border from Belarus to Lithuania.

Lithuanian border guards turned back one migrant on Friday and 37 on Saturday, but did not spot any on Sunday.

Meanwhile, Latvian border guards stopped 87 migrants last Friday, as many as 134 last Saturday and 52 on Sunday.

Polish border officers denied access to 1 migrant that attempted to cross from Belarus to Poland on Thursday but did not detect any migrants on Friday and Saturday.

This year, the VSAT has prevented 483 irregular migrants from entering Lithuania from Belarus at unauthorised crossing points. The figure stood at 1,652 at the end of 2025.

Since the start of the migrant crisis caused by Belarus in 2021, Lithuania has thwarted more than 25 thousand illegal border crossing attempts.

Vilnius, April 20 (ELTA) – A representative of the Russian Embassy was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and handed a note of strong protest regarding air strikes carried out by Russian armed forces against Ukraine on 15–16 April, the ministry said in a statement on Monday.

According to the ministry, the note pointed out that the number and geographical distribution of casualties, as well as the destruction of civilian objects, allowed the conclusion that Russia’s aggressive actions were deliberately directed against Ukraine’s civilian population and constituted a clear violation of international humanitarian law prohibiting violence or threats intended to intimidate civilians.

The ministry said the wave of attacks, involving nearly 700 combat drones and several dozen ballistic and cruise missiles, primarily targeted civilian infrastructure and residential buildings in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Odesa, Dnipro, Sumy, Mykolaiv and Kherson, as well as other parts of Ukraine. It said rescue workers had recovered 18 bodies and provided assistance to more than 120 injured residents.

The ministry said Lithuania once again demanded that Russia immediately cease its aggression against Ukraine, withdraw its occupying forces from all internationally recognised Ukrainian territory and compensate Kyiv for the damage caused by the invasion.

Russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, although the war began in 2014 with the annexation of Crimea and the start of hostilities in the Donbas.

Vilnius, April 20 (ELTA) – The Hero business centre continues to expand its tenant base, with two new lease agreements signed and an additional 720 sq. m of office space leased. The majority of this space – 426 sq. m – will be occupied by energy infrastructure company STiEMO, UAB Sostinės bokštai said in a statement via the stock exchange.

The company has been operating since 2014 and specialises in the construction of power engineering facilities, installation of engineering networks, and implementation of complex projects both in Lithuania and abroad.

The decision by STiEMO to relocate to a new office was driven by the company’s growth and its aim to provide better conditions for employees.

The Hero business centre is already home to one of the largest logistics real estate developers in the Baltic States, Sirin Development, law firm Cobalt, early education school Eureka, a branch of Sapiegos Clinics, restaurant Mylios, as well as other service-oriented companies.

The number of international technology and innovation companies establishing a presence in the building is also growing. For example, technology company Wire Salad has already established its office here, leasing nearly 600 sq. m of space together with Colliers.

UK-registered financial sector company Ebury has also selected Hero for its Lithuanian branch, leasing 320 sq. m of office space.

In addition, the Lithuanian office of one of the world’s most popular women’s health applications, Flo Health, has chosen Hero, leasing 2,800 sq. m of space across three floors of the building.

At the end of March 2026, Hero was awarded the prestigious BREEAM International New Construction Final Certificate under the BREEAM building sustainability assessment method. The business centre received the highest certification level – “Outstanding”.

Hero is also seeking a second sustainability certification – WELL Gold.

UAB Sostinės bokštai, a company related to one of the largest real estate developers in Lithuania, Realco, also raised financing from the market for the construction of the Hero business centre. Through seven bond issuance tranches, 1,500 investors from Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia collectively invested nearly EUR 57 million in the Hero project. Total investment in the project is expected to reach approximately EUR 112 million.

Realco is one of the largest real estate development companies in Lithuania. Celebrating its 20th anniversary this year, the company develops residential, public, and commercial projects distinguished by high quality, innovative solutions, and close attention to client needs both in Lithuania and abroad.

Riga, April 20 (LETA-ELTA) – Latvia should abandon the assumption that allied production capacities will provide it with the necessary ammunition and equipment, President Edgars Rinkevics stressed on Monday, adding that the country should be flexible and self-sufficient.

Opening a discussion at Riga Castle on the role of the defense industry in strengthening Latvia's defense capabilities, Rinkevics welcomed the approved Defense Industry and Innovation Support Strategy 2025-2036, as well as the dialogue between the Defense Ministry and the military industry.

The president noted that the previous discussion with representatives of the government and industry took place in October 2024, but the situation has become more tense since then: the war in Ukraine is ongoing and, given the situation in the Middle East, there is no reason to expect any peace deal or ceasefire agreement for the time being.

Rinkevics called on Latvia to base its preparedness on two assumptions, namely that some form of provocation or military action against NATO or EU member states cannot be ruled out, and that Latvia cannot rely on allies' production capacities alone.

“What we are seeing now, both in NATO discussions and in the harsh realities of life, is that this kind of thinking should be forgotten for the next one, two, three years. We have to be flexible and self-sufficient enough,” the president said.

He noted that Latvia must be able to ensure the development of the national and regional armed forces. Rinkevics also stressed that drone and counter-drone technologies are developing rapidly and need to be constantly worked on, as there is no point in producing large amounts of equipment only to realize that warehouses are full of obsolete technologies.

According to the president, in the Latvian context, it is essential to create a flexible system of cooperation and to develop an industrial production capacity that provides for urgent needs. It is also necessary to evaluate bureaucratic procedures and promote cooperation with universities.

Rinkevics added that the forthcoming NATO summit in Ankara, member states will discuss the capacity of the entire Alliance's military industry to meet the growing demand. The president underlined that Latvia is one of the first Alliance members to pass a law stipulating defense spending at 5 percent of gross domestic product from 2027.

The president mentioned that last year's decisions at the NATO Summit in The Hague allow for some flexibility in financing military defense and defense-related expenditure, but in any case, the financing level has been earmarked. The president noted that funding for defense largely depends on economic growth, while it is clear that faster and more flexible action is needed.

Rinkevics added that this is an election year in Latvia and various discussions on a number of topics are going on, but as far as national security and defense are concerned, there are things that cannot and should not be questioned or made dependent on “local politics”.

Vilnius, April 20 (ELTA) – The international credit rating agency Moody’s Investment Service reaffirmed the ‘A2’ long-term credit rating with a stable outlook previously granted to Lithuania on Friday evening, the Finance Ministry said in a press release.

The approval of Lithuania’s ‘A2’ credit rating reflects the country’s experience with active economic policies and fiscal discipline. According to Moody’s experts, Lithuania is sufficiently resilient to shocks, as demonstrated again in recent years, including a significant reduction in economic ties with russia. Public debt was below 40% of GDP in 2025, and debt service options are very good.

According to Moody’s analysts, the strong economic situation supports the ‘A2’ rating and reflects strong long-term growth and a high level of income per capita. This is due to structural changes, such as a shift towards higher productivity services, in particular information technology and business services, as well as a gradual shift towards higher-tech manufacturing. The agency forecasts real GDP growth at 3.0% in 2026, significantly higher than the expected long-term growth rate of 2.5%.

However, these economic advantages, according to Moody’s, are partly offset by the small size of the domestic market and the extreme openness that keeps Lithuania vulnerable to fluctuations in external demand. In addition, unfavourable demographic trends are likely to reduce labour supply and slow down potential growth in the medium and long term, despite mitigating factors such as productivity growth, increasing labour market participation rates and positive net migration.

A stable outlook indicates that ‘A2’ rating risks are currently balanced. Moody’s analysts believe that geopolitical risks for Lithuania will remain elevated, but they are mitigated by the country’s membership in NATO, the multinational NATO Battle Group deployed in Lithuania and the Government’s focus on strengthening defence capabilities. The stable outlook also reflects the agency’s expectation that economic growth will remain robust and the fiscal position resilient. 

Moody’s last upgrade of Lithuania’s credit ratings was in February 2021, when the ‘A3’ (positive outlook) long-term credit rating issued in 2015 was upgraded to ‘A2’ (stable outlook). The latest credit rating report is available here. 

A week ago, the international credit rating agency Morningstar DBRS reaffirmed the ‘A (high)’ long-term credit rating previously granted to Lithuania with a stable outlook. Morningstar DBRS last re-ranked Lithuania’s long-term credit rating in November 2021 from ‘A’ to ‘A (high)’ with a stable rating outlook.

Lithuania’s ‘A’ rating of November last year, with a stable outlook, was also affirmed by S&P Global Ratings’ credit rating agency. Analysts of this agency assessed the situation in Lithuania as stable, therefore, a decision was taken not to change the country’s ‘A’ credit rating assigned in 2024 (stable outlook), while maintaining the ‘A-1’ short-term credit rating and only publishing a report on Lithuania, assessing the country’s economic outlook.

The credit rating agency Fitch Ratings affirmed the ‘A’ credit rating of Lithuania with a stable outlook at the end of October last year. The agency last improved Lithuania’s credit ratings in January 2020, when the long-term credit rating was upgraded from ‘A-’ to ‘A’.

Vilnius, April 20 (ELTA) – ELTA Brief provides a concise overview of the key events of Monday, 20 April, in Lithuania and around the world.

On Monday, police said they are gathering material but have not yet launched a formal investigation into a “spy pen” found at a Social Democrat party council meeting. The party claims the recording device may have been left by a journalist from the public broadcaster. Mindaugas Jurkynas, chairman of the Council of the Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), declined to comment on allegations made by the Social Democrats against the broadcaster’s journalist. Dr Donata Kabelkė was nominated for the position of director general of the Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania (LGGRTC).

LITHUANIAN POLITICAL NEWS

Vilnius district police are currently gathering data related to a discovery of a secret recording pen found during a closed-door meeting of the Council of the Social Democrats (LSDP) last week. A formal pre-trial investigation has not been launched yet, they said. Loreta Kairienė, spokeswoman for the Vilnius County Chief Police Commissariat, told ELTA that the data are being collected under Article 295 of the Criminal Code that covers the illegal installation or use of technical equipment to collect information. Under Lithuanian law, the unauthorised use of such devices to monitor state institutions, political organisations, or individuals is punishable by a fine, restricted liberty, arrest, or up to four years in prison. The LSDP said the recording device was discovered following a council meeting held Thursday at a hotel in the Vilnius district. In a statement to police, the party alleged the pen belonged to Egle Samoškaitė, a journalist for the national public broadcaster, LRT. Samoškaitė has denied the allegations.

Mindaugas Jurkynas, chairman of the Council of Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), said he would not assess allegations by the Social Democrats (LSDP) involving LRT journalist Eglė Samoškaitė. The LSDP suspects that Samoškaitė may have left a recording device during a closed party meeting. Jurkynas said such matters fall under the responsibility of LRT management. As reported, the Social Democrats said last Friday that a recording pen had been discovered during a closed meeting of the party council held the previous day, and that the device was suspected to belong to a public broadcaster journalist. The party has filed a complaint with police over the incident. The Vilnius District Police said it is gathering material related to the incident.

Vilnius city municipality has decided to purchase communication services from five social media influencers, prompting a complaint from municipal councillor Aleksandras Nemunaitis to several watchdog institutions. Nemunaitis turned to the Central Electoral Commission (VRK), the Special Investigation Service (STT) and the State Consumer Rights Protection Authority (VVTAT), asking them to assess whether the promotional content produced by the influencers complies with current legal regulations. The municipality launched a campaign to promote a website presenting ongoing municipal projects, with plans to buy publicity services from five content creators. The initiative is expected to cost nearly EUR 7,000, excluding value-added tax (VAT). Of that amount, EUR 3,800 has been allocated for services provided by influencer Rolandas Mackevičius alone, also excluding VAT.

Dr Donata Kabelkė has been nominated for the post of director general of the Genocide and Resistance Research Centre of Lithuania (LGGRTC). Arūnas Streikus, chairman of the LGGRTC council, said the institution was in need of a “breakthrough” and that Kabelkė’s proposed approach had received backing from seven council members. He said the candidate’s proposals included innovative measures and new formats for the development of the centre’s activities. Last week, Kabelkė said that if appointed she would initiate structural reforms, strengthen internal and external communication, and introduce elements of art and creativity into the centre’s work. The final decision on her appointment will be taken by Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas.

The Court of Appeal of Lithuania has concluded its examination of the case against Vaida Giraitytė-Juškevičienė, a former long-serving member of the Marijampolė municipal council, previously acquitted in the so-called receipts case. The prosecutor requested that the former politician be found guilty, fined EUR 10,000, and barred from public service for four years. The court examined why the then politician, who also served in the Seimas during the previous term, relied on relatives to purchase fuel on her behalf. She had submitted fuel receipts from relatives, including cousins, to the municipality. Giraitytė-Juškevičienė said she had been highly active, responding to residents’ concerns and frequently attending meetings and events with voters. She maintained that all the fuel cited in the case was used for her duties as a councillor. According to the case file, between June 2019 and November 2020, while serving on the Marijampolė Municipal Council, she is suspected of falsifying 15 expense reports by submitting inaccurate data on fuel and telephone costs allegedly incurred in the course of her official duties.

LITHUANIAN BUSINESS NEWS

Agriculture Minister Andrius Palionis said Lithuania wants the convergence of direct payments completed by the end of the European Union’s 2028–2034 financial period. As announced in September, the European Commission has earmarked more than €4.38 billion for Lithuania’s agricultural sector in 2028–2034, about 20% less than in the current period. The minister said convergence is expected to reach 79% by the end of the 2023–2027 period, but would fall to 76% in the next cycle without additional funding. According to the Ministry of Agriculture, the funds allocated by the Commission are intended to support farmers’ income, including direct payments and sectoral interventions. Additional funding is set aside for rural development measures such as investment support, the establishment of young farmers, the development of small farms, business promotion and farm replacement services.

Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė welcomed a rise in consumption following a wave of withdrawals from second-pillar pension funds, saying that the reform was intended to give people greater freedom to decide how to use their money. She cautioned, however, that the surge in spending cannot necessarily be directly linked to the reform. Ruginienė said some people continue to sign up for second-pillar savings, while others are increasingly shifting to third-pillar schemes or opening investment accounts. Pension fund companies estimate that nearly 550,000 people withdrew from the second-pillar system in the first quarter after the reform, leaving fewer than 900,000 participants.

FOREIGN NEWS

A US Navy destroyer in the Gulf of Oman fired on and intercepted an Iranian-flagged cargo ship that it said was attempting to evade a US naval blockade. US President Donald Trump said the vessel, identified as the Touska, ignored warnings to stop. The guided missile destroyer USS Spruance then halted it by “blowing a hole in the engine room”, he said. Trump added that the Touska was under US Treasury sanctions over what he described as previous illegal activities. The incident, along with other reports of renewed regional tensions, has driven a sharp rise in oil and gas prices.

Iran said the United States is not serious about pursuing a diplomatic solution to the war in the Middle East. A foreign ministry spokesman said a US attack on an Iranian cargo ship early Monday, the US Navy’s blockade of Iranian ports and delays in implementing a ceasefire in Lebanon were “clear violations” of the ceasefire. Since the United States and Israel launched the war with Iran on 28 February, Tehran and Washington have held one round of talks in Islamabad, which ended without agreement on ending the conflict. The negotiations followed a fragile two-week ceasefire that began on 8 April and is due to expire on Wednesday. US President Donald Trump said on Sunday he had ordered negotiators to travel to Pakistan on Monday for another round of talks, but Iran has yet to confirm its participation. Pakistan’s interior minister met Iranian and US representatives separately on Monday.

Pro-Moscow politician Rumen Radev won a landslide victory in Bulgaria’s parliamentary election. Sofia’s Central Election Commission said on Monday that the left-wing Progressive Bulgaria (PB) bloc led by former president Radev secured 44.7% of the vote in Sunday’s election, with 97.5% of ballots counted. The result is likely to be enough to secure a parliamentary majority. The two pro-Western parties that had previously been in power trailed far behind. The long-dominant conservative alliance GERB-SDS, which led the coalition government that resigned in December 2025, won about 13.4% of the vote, its worst result to date. The liberal bloc PP-DB came third with 12.8%. Commenting on the outcome, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov praised Radev’s determination to “resolve problems through pragmatic dialogue.”

Vilnius, April 20 (ELTA) – NATO Air Policing fighter jets were scrambled four times from 13 to 19 April, in response to violations of international flight regulations made by Russian aircraft, the Ministry of National Defence said in a press release.

On 13 April, the NATO Air Policing Detachment were scrambled to intercept one IL-20 flying from Kaliningrad and back via international airspace with its onboard transponder switched off, without the flight plan and without maintaining communication with the regional air traffic control centre. 

On 13 April, NATO fighter aircraft responded to one AN-26 flying from Kaliningrad to mainland Russia and with its onboard transponder switched off, without the flight plan, but It did maintain radio communication. 

On 14 April, NATO fighter jets were dispatched to identify and escort one IL-20 flying via international airspace from Kaliningrad and back. The crew kept the onboard transponder switched off, had no flight plan and were not maintaining radio communication.

On 15 April, fighter aircraft guarding the Baltic airspace intercepted two SU-30SM flying from Kaliningrad and back through international airspace. Their onboard transponders were switched off, the crews had no flight plans and were not maintaining radio communication. 

On 17 April, NATO fighter jets were scrambled to identify and escort one IL-20 flying from Kaliningrad and back via international airspace. Its onboard transponder was switched off, it had no flight plan and did not maintain radio communication. 

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, April 20 (ELTA) – More than a third of the country’s population spends up to EUR 400 per month on food, according to a survey commissioned by retailer Lidl.

The poll found that 35% of respondents spend EUR 201–400 monthly on food, while 28% spend EUR 401–600. Another 13% reported spending up to EUR 200, and 9% said their monthly food bill reaches EUR 601–800.

For most households, food accounts for a moderate share of spending: 44% allocate 16–30% of their income to food, while 15% spend up to 15%.

“The data show food spending is generally balanced, with people increasingly planning purchases and seeking practical everyday solutions,” said Antanas Bubnelis, head of communication and corporate affairs at Lidl Lietuva.

Nearly one-third of respondents said they are satisfied with their food expenses, while 40% described them as controlled but said they are still looking for ways to save.

The survey also found that 54% prefer a low-price model, buying essential goods cheaply without relying on promotions and special offers. At the same time, 61% said discounts often lead them to buy unnecessary items and overspend.

“Promotions act as a psychological impulse. People come for essentials but add discounted items like coffee or snacks,” said Lineta Ramonienė, associate professor at ISM University of Management and Economics. “While individual items may be cheaper, the total bill often rises.”

The survey was conducted by Norstat in March.

Vilnius, April 20 (ELTA) – The Lithuanian Government has held a primary placement auction of additional offers of its Eurobonds at the public company Nasdaq Vilnius, with the average accepted yield of 3.512%.

The state borrowed EUR 55 million for a period of seven years and nearly two months, the stock exchange said Monday. The Government Eurobonds are set to be redeemed on 14 June 2033.

The total volume of competitive and non-competitive bids on Monday stood at EUR 110.3 million.