Press Releases

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...

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 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 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 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 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...

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...

Croatia Votes to Bring Back Compulsory Military service

(MENAFN) Croatia’s parliament has voted to bring back mandatory military service, ending a 17-year suspension that began in 2008 when the country shifted to a fully professional army. The decision aligns with a broader trend across NATO and EU...

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...

NATO says KGB is behind controversial wave of balloons

(MENAFN) Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has accused the Belarusian State Security Committee (KGB) of being behind a series of air balloon incursions that have violated Lithuania’s airspace and heightened tensions along the border between the...

Russian FM cautions over Kaliningrad transit

(MENAFN) Russia has cautioned Lithuania against taking what it called “provocative steps” regarding transit to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, according to reports. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova said on Wednesday that...

Europe’s presidents support Trump demand on freezing frontline

(MENAFN) European leaders have echoed U.S. President Donald Trump’s call to halt fighting in Ukraine and use the existing front line as the basis for peace negotiations, though Russia has dismissed the proposal outright. In a joint statement...