The Dispatch

Lithuania wants NATO to expand Baltic battalions into brigades

Lithuania wants the NATO battalions in the Baltic countries to be expanded into brigades, the country's defence ministry said on Monday. A brigade consists of several battalions of troops. Lithuania…

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Photo Story: Snow in Riga, Latvia

People walk at snowy park in Riga, Latvia, on Wednesday 06 April 2022. According to the data of the Latvian Environment, Geology and Meteorology Center, seven centimetres of snow was…

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Lithuanian MPs want to outlaw Russian military Z symbol

Two Lithuanian MPs have called on the country to ban displays of the Russian military 'Z' symbol following its invasion of Ukraine. Lawmakers are debating amendments to outlaw the black…

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Baltic nations expel ten Russian diplomats

VILNIUS, March 18 (Reuters) - Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania have expelled a total of ten Russian diplomats, the foreign ministries of the three Baltic countries said on Friday. Lithuania expelled four diplomats…

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Lithuania’s Prime Minister joins paramilitary volunteer force

VILNIUS (Reuters) - Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte was sworn in on Friday as a member of the Riflemen’s Union, a paramilitary volunteer force that supports the police and the…

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Estonian PM warns hard times lie ahead but ‘freedom is priceless’

European leaders have to be "honest" with their citizens about the negative effects that EU sanctions against Russia might bring upon people's daily life, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said…

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UPDATED: Lithuania tightens state of emergency, limits free speech

VILNIUS, March 10 (Reuters) - Lithuania imposed a stricter state of emergency on Thursday in response to Russia's invasion of Ukraine, limiting rights to free expression and peaceful assembly, in what critics…

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Moral duty to give Ukraine a membership perspective – Estonian PM

The European Union has a moral duty to give Ukraine a membership perspective, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told the European Parliament this morning. She said that Ukraine was not…

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Lithuania asks International Criminal Court to investigate war crimes in Ukraine

VILNIUS, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Lithuania's government announced on Monday it will ask prosecutors at the International Criminal Court to investigate "war crimes and crimes against humanity in Ukraine". "There is new…

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Latvia allows its citizens to fight in Ukraine

VILNIUS, Feb 28 (Reuters) - Latvia's parliament voted unanimously on Monday to allow its nationals to fight in Ukraine if willing, the parliament said in a statement. "Our citizens who want to…

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In policy shift, Finland approves field guns export by Estonia to Ukraine

HELSINKI, Feb 27 (Reuters) - Finland is to allow neighbouring Estonia to export to Ukraine Soviet-origin howitzer field guns, which were previously sold to Estonia by Finland but could not legally be…

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U.S. troops in Latvia in warning to Putin

ADAZI MILITARY BASE, Latvia - The presence of U.S. and other NATO troops in Latvia sends a message to Vladimir Putin that Russia should stay away, Latvian Defence Minister Artis…

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Baltic nations plan to close airspace to Russian planes

VILNIUS, Feb 26 (Reuters) - The Baltic nations of Latvia, Estonia and Lithuania have agreed in principle to close their airspace to Russian aircraft, Lithuanian Transport Minister Marius Skuodis said on Saturday.…

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Poland and Lithuania say Ukraine deserves EU candidate status due to ‘current security challenges’

VILNIUS (Reuters) - Ukraine deserves European Union candidate status, and Poland and Lithuania will support it in this goal, the presidents of the two countries said in a joint declaration…

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Estonia appeals for American fighter jets to the Baltics to defend its airspace

Estonia has asked the United States to send fighter jets to the Baltic states to defend their skies, amid worries that Russia could be poised for an attack on Ukraine…

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Putin is ‘enjoying himself’ with military build-up, Estonian premier says

Estonia's prime minister said that Russian President Vladimir Putin is enjoying the international attention generated by Russia's massive military drills on Ukraine's borders and is looking for a successful war…

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German army reinforcements reach Lithuania

RUKLA MILITARY BASE, Lithuania (Reuters) - A German army convoy of 130 soldiers and 60 vehicles reached Lithuania, bringing almost half of planned reinforcements for the country's German-led NATO battlegroup…

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Russia ‘likely’ to launch ‘limited’ military attack against Ukraine, says Estonian intelligence

Russia is continuing to move troops to the Ukrainian border and will likely launch a "limited" military attack against the country, the head of the Estonian Foreign Intelligence Service said. The attack…

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Lithuania warns banks of cyber attacks, power cuts amid fears of war in Ukraine

Feb 16 (Reuters) - Lithuania's central bank has told the country's banks to prepare for power cuts and cyberattacks as Russia's standoff with Ukraine risks spilling over into a military conflict, according…

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German troops arrive to reinforce Baltics amid tensions over Ukraine

Lithuania, Feb 14 (Reuters) - A German military aircraft carrying troop reinforcements landed in Lithuania on Monday, the first of several planned NATO deployments amid fears in the region about…

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Lithuania prepares to take in refugees from Ukraine if needed

Lithuania would be ready to take in people fleeing war in Ukraine if Russia decided to invade its neighbour, Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė said this week. “While we do…

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UPDATED: NATO welcomes more U.S. forces to Romania, says reinforcing in east

CONSTANTA, Romania, Feb 11 (Reuters) - NATO will continue to reinforce its eastern flank amid a Russian military build-up on Ukraine's border but will also consider a longer-term presence in…

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China suspends Lithuanian beef imports as Taiwan row grows

BEIJING, Feb 10 (Reuters) - China has suspended imports of beef from Lithuania since Wednesday, the General Administration of Customs said, amid a growing trade spat with the Baltic nation…

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Lithuania seeks to make U.S. troop deployment permanent

RUKLA, Lithuania, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Lithuania will ask the United States to permanently station troops in the country to help boost security, the Baltic nation's president said on Wednesday.…

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The Netherlands to increase troops in Baltics

RUKLA, LITHUANIA, Feb 9 (Reuters) - The Netherlands will increase the number of its troops in a NATO battlegroup in Lithuania to 350 from 270, Dutch defence minister Kajsa Ollongren…

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NATO considers bolstering allies if Russian troops stay in Belarus

VILNIUS, Feb 7 (Reuters) - NATO is looking to increase its military presence in the Baltic states and Poland in case Russia keeps its troops in Belarus after a planned…

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U.S. deploys F-15 fighter jets to Baltics

VILNIUS (Reuters) - Six American F-15 jets landed in an Estonian airbase on Wednesday for deployment for a week and a half, as the NATO transatlantic military alliance reinforced its…

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Kaunas kicks off European Capital of Culture programme

Lithuania's second city officially launched itself as the European Capital of Culture 2022 on Saturday with an opening event showcasing its contemporaneity and cultural potential. Kaunas ECC programme kicked off…

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U.S. clears Baltic states to send U.S.-made weapons to Ukraine

The U.S. State Department has cleared Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia to send U.S.-made missiles and other weapons to Ukraine, three sources familiar with the decision said, as President Joe Biden…

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Lithuania says Russian troops in Belarus pose “direct threat”

VILNIUS, Jan 19 (Reuters) - Russian troops arriving in Belarus for what Moscow and Minsk say will be joint military exercises are a direct threat to NATO member Lithuania, and…

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Mikhail Gorbachev accused of war crimes by six Lithuanian citizens

Relatives of victims of a 1991 Soviet crackdown against Lithuania's pro-independence government filed a civil lawsuit in Vilnius against former Soviet president Mikhail Gorbachev, 90, claiming he failed to stop…

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Baltics in talks to increase NATO troops on their soil -Estonian PM

The Baltic States are talking to NATO allies about increasing military deployments on their soil to deter Russia, Estonia's prime minister told Reuters, and NATO's chief said any Russian attack…

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Taiwan to invest $200 million in Lithuania

Taiwan said it would create a $200 million fund to invest in Lithuanian industries and boost bilateral trade as it tries to fend off diplomatic pressure on the Baltic state…

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Lithuania extends migrant detention limit to a year

Migrants who cross into Lithuania from Belarus can be detained for up to a year, the Lithuanian parliament decided on Thursday, increasing an initial six-month detention limit. Eighty-one lawmakers backed…

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Biden pledges more military support for Central Europe, Lithuanian official says

U.S. President Joe Biden on Thursday promised Central European NATO members more military support as concern grows over a Russian troop build-up on the border with Ukraine, Lithuania's presidential advisor…

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West could cut Russia from SWIFT, sanction Nord Stream, Latvia says

The West must send a strong message to Russia to deter the Kremlin from invading Ukraine, including cutting Russia off from the SWIFT payment system, sanctioning the Nord Stream 2 pipeline and…

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Photo Story: Snowy weather in Riga

A man walks during a snowy day at the Ziedondarzs Park in Riga, Latvia. The Finnish Meteorological Institute in its forecast for Latvia predicts winterly temperatures of down to minus…

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Latvia calls for permanent U.S. troops to guard against Russia threat

Latvia needs a permanent U.S. military presence to deter Russia and wants to boost its defences with U.S. Patriot missiles, Defence Minister Artis Pabriks said on Monday as NATO's chief…

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Lithuania says Belarus will keep testing West, urges NATO rethink

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said on Sunday that the NATO military alliance needed to adjust its stance towards Belarus, whose military, he said, was becoming more integrated with Russian armed…

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Lithuania, in spat with China, urges Europe to brace for ‘coercion’ from Beijing

Lithuania will adapt to "short-term" economic pain dealt by China over its moves to enhance ties with Taiwan, foreign minister Gabrielius Landsbergis said on Wednesday, while urging Europe to brace…

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Europe must make clear Russia will pay high price for Ukraine action – Estonian PM

The European Union must make it clear to Russia that there would be a high price to pay if it acted against Ukraine, Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas told Reuters,…

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Taiwan opens office in Lithuania, brushing aside China opposition

TAIPEI, Nov 18 (Reuters) - Taiwan opened a de facto embassy in Lithuania on Thursday in a diplomatic breakthrough for the Chinese-claimed island, brushing aside Beijing's strong opposition to the…

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Estonia announces snap military exercise, will put razor wire along Russian border

Nov 17 (Reuters) - The Estonian government summoned 1,700 reserve soldiers on Wednesday for an unannounced exercise which will include installing a razor wire barrier along 40 km of its…

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Seabed rock may have caused holes in Estonia ferry that sank, officials say

Rock on the seabed may have gouged previously unknown holes in the hull of the ferry Estonia, which sank in the Baltic Sea in 1994 with the loss of 852…

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Photo Story: Kaunas will be the European Capital of Culture for 2022

People walk at Medieval Kaunas Castle, Lithuania. The Lithuanian city Kaunas will be the European Capital of Culture for 2022. The grand opening of 'Kaunas 2022' is scheduled for 22…

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Lithuania border, camps in state of emergency over migrants from Belarus

Lithuania's parliament on Tuesday declared a state of emergency at the country's border with Belarus and at camps hosting migrants who arrived from there, a tally of votes showed. The…

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Latvia allows businesses to fire the unvaccinated

The Latvian parliament on Thursday allowed businesses to fire workers who refuse to either get a COVID-19 vaccine or transfer to remote work, as the country battles one of the…

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Lithuania starts building first European wall to ward off migrants from Belarus

Lithuania has built the first stretches of a steel wall on its border with Belarus since migrants from the Middle East and other areas began entering from Belarus this year.…

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Lithuania says its rocky ties with China are a ‘wake up call’ for Europe

China's treatment of Lithuania is a "wake up call" for Europe, Lithuania's deputy foreign minister said, calling for the European Union to be united in dealings with Beijing. China demanded…

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Lithuania rolls out next-generation 5G plans

The Lithuanian Communications Regulatory Authority (RRT) has launched an auction for three 700 MHz radio frequency blocks to be used to deploy next-generation 5G mobile networks and provide 5G e-communication…

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Latvia announces four weeks of lockdown as COVID-19 cases spike

Latvia announced a COVID-19 lockdown from Oct. 21 until Nov. 15 to try to slow a spike in infections in one of the least vaccinated European Union countries. "Our health…

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Lithuanian hospitals stop accepting non-urgent patients amid COVID-19 surge

Two of the three largest hospitals in Lithuania's capital Vilnius stopped accepting non-urgent patients due to influx of COVID-19 cases, a hospital executive director said. Several regional hospitals around Vilnius…

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Lithuania to offer booster shots to all citizens

Lithuanian health authorities have announced that they will shortly start offering Covid-19 booster shots to everyone. Lukas Galkus, adviser to the Health Ministry, told LRT Radio that a mass booster…

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Photo Story: Lidl open 15 stores in Latvia

A view of the logo of a Lidl store in Riga, Latvia, 07 October 2021. German retailer Lidl opened 15 stores in Latvia on October 7. Lidl is a German…

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Armenia seeks Lithuanian support for stronger relations with EU

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Armenian Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan to step up implementation of democratic reforms. In a bilateral meeting, Nauseda pointed out that the democratic government led by…

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Lithuania records largest coronavirus caseload since January

There have been 1,847 new coronavirus cases in Lithuania over the past 24 hours, the country’s statistics office has said – the highest number of cases since early January. The…

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China’s Xiaomi hires expert over Lithuania censorship claim

China's Xiaomi Corp said it was engaging a third-party expert to assess allegations by Lithuania that its smartphones carry built-in censorship capabilities. Lithuania's Defence Ministry last week urged consumers to throw away…

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