On 24 February 2022, the Lithuanian authorities declared a state of emergency in the country due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that he condemned the aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine, and also said that after Russia started a war against Ukraine, NATO should clearly state that Russia is a serious threat to Euro-Atlantic security. [1]
The day before the invasion, on 23 February, a meeting was held in Kyiv between the presidents of Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine as part of the Lublin Triangle. The President of Lithuania, Gitanas Nauseda, expressed support for Ukraine from the Lithuanian side, saying that Ukraine will not be left alone with the threat. [2]
During the Russian invasion of Ukraine, on 24 February 2022, a state of emergency was declared in Lithuania. [3] On the same day, Nauseda recorded an appeal to the citizens of the Russian Federation:
I appeal to all the people of Russia.
Your leaders have unilaterally decided to attack a neighboring country. To a country that has close historical and cultural ties with Russia. The people you call your brothers and sisters.
Nobody wants this war. Neither Russians, nor Ukrainians, nor the rest of the world.
It's not too late to stop this crime. It is not too late to prevent the death of thousands of innocent people. You can still avoid senseless casualties on both sides of the front.
In a song well known to all of us, it is said that the soldiers died in that war, so that the people of the whole earth could sleep peacefully at night. But now your country is starting a new war, the consequences of which are unknown to anyone. Do Russians want wars? I want to believe not.
Do not be silent! Don't close your eyes to injustice! Be bold and decisive!
On 24 February Defense Minister Arvydas Anušauskas announced that, following the example of other NATO countries, Lithuania evacuated 40 of its military instructors from Ukraine who were training the Ukrainian military to use Stinger man-portable air defense systems from the batch transferred to Ukraine on 13 February. [4] On 25 February rallies in support of Ukraine were held in many large cities of Lithuania under the general title “Freedom Shines”. People walked along the main streets of Vilnius, gathered near the Seimas and in the square to them. Boris Nemtsov at the Russian embassy. [5]
A number of Lithuanian online publications (LRT.lt, Delfi.lt, 15min.lt, Lrytas.lt, tv3.lt, VE.lt, Kaunas.kasvyksta.lt, Madeinvilnius.lt, Etaplius.lt) expressed their solidarity with Ukrainian journalists and editors working at the front, and inform them of their readiness to help. On the same day, the rebroadcasting of the Russian state-owned TV channels RTR Planeta, Rossiya 24, NTV Mir, and Belarusian Belarus 24 (for five years), RBC and TVCI (for three years) were banned in Lithuania. [6] Klaipeda radio station "Rainbow" also expressed solidarity by stopping broadcasting any Russian products. [7]
On 4 April 2022, Lithuania decided to downgrade diplomatic relations with Russia "in response to Russia's military aggression against sovereign Ukraine and the atrocities committed by the Russian armed forces in various occupied Ukrainian cities, including the heinous massacre in Bucha." Lithuania expels the Russian ambassador, recalls its ambassador and closes the Russian consulate in Klaipeda. [8]
On 10 May, the Seimas of Lithuania, noting that the Russian military "deliberately and systematically choose civilian targets for bombing," recognized Russia as a "state supporting and carrying out terrorism," and its military actions against Ukraine - genocide of the Ukrainian people. [9] [10]
On 8 June United Russia deputy Yevgeny Fedorov proposed to cancel the resolution of the USSR State Council "On the recognition of the independence of the Republic of Lithuania" of 6 September 1991. He submitted the relevant bill to the State Duma of Russia for consideration. Fedorov substantiates such a proposal by the fact that the USSR law "On the procedure for resolving issues related to the secession of a union republic from the USSR" was violated, since a referendum on secession from the USSR was not held in the Republic of Lithuania, and a transition period was not established for consideration all contentious issues. The deputy stated that the resolution of the State Council of the USSR is illegal, as it was adopted by an unconstitutional body and in violation of the requirements of a number of articles of the Constitution. [11] [12]
In response to the proposal to cancel the recognition of Lithuanian independence, on 18 June, the Lithuanian side introduced a ban on transit cargo transportation between the Russian Kaliningrad Oblast and the rest of Russia through the territory of Lithuania , covering goods subject to European Union sanctions imposed on Russia for its invasion of Ukraine . The restrictions came into force on 18 June 2022 and led to a ban on the transit of coal, metals, cement, timber, building materials and high-tech products through the Lithuanian territory by rail. [13]
On 21 June, restrictions were extended to trucks. [14] A number of media called the measures taken by Lithuania "the blockade of Kaliningrad", prompting a response from Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, who emphasized that there was no question of a blockade and restrictions were imposed only on the movement of goods subject to EU sanctions. According to the governor of the Kaliningrad region Anton Alikhanov, 40-50% of all cargo was banned.
In response to the restrictions, Russia began to openly threaten Lithuania and even issue ultimatums. [15] The head of the Lithuanian Foreign Ministry, Gabrielius Landsbergis , said that the ban on the transit of steel and ferrous metal products between the main territory of Russia and Kaliningrad Oblast of the Russian Federation through Lithuania is not a decision of Lithuania, but EU sanctions against Russia. [16]
On 13 July, EU representatives announced that Russia was allowed to transit goods subject to sanctions through the countries of the European Union by rail. This means that Russia can transit sanctioned goods to Kaliningrad via Lithuania and Poland. [17] [18] MEP Andrius Kubilius calls such a step extremely dangerous - the Kremlin, feeling that it can put pressure on the EC, is unlikely to stop and can only demand even greater concessions. [19] Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte said that the Lithuanian side does not agree with this decision, but cannot oppose anything to the European Commission. [20]
Kaliningrad Oblast is the westernmost federal subject of the Russian Federation. It is a semi-exclave situated on the Baltic Sea. The oblast is surrounded by two European Union and NATO members: Poland to the south and Lithuania to the north and east. The largest city and administrative centre of the province (oblast) is the city of Kaliningrad, formerly known as Königsberg. The port city of Baltiysk is Russia's only port on the Baltic Sea that remains ice-free in winter. Kaliningrad Oblast had a population of roughly 1 million in the Russian Census of 2021.
Margarita Aleksandrovna Drobiazko is a Russian retired ice dancer. She began competing for Lithuania in 1992 when she teamed up with Povilas Vanagas. With Vanagas, she is the 2000 World bronze medalist, a three-time Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, a two-time European bronze medalist, the 1999 Skate Canada champion, and competed in five Winter Olympics, finishing as high as 5th.
Povilas Vanagas is a Lithuanian ice dancer. With his wife Margarita Drobiazko, he is the 2000 World bronze medalist, a three-time Grand Prix Final bronze medalist, a two-time European bronze medalist, the 1999 Skate Canada champion, and competed in five Winter Olympics, finishing as high as 5th.
Before the independence from the Soviet Union (USSR) in 1990, Lithuanian print media sector served mainly as a propaganda instrument of the Communist Party of Lithuania (LKP). Alternative and uncontrolled press began to appear in the country starting from 1988, when the Initiative Group of the Reform Movement of Lithuania Sąjūdis was established. After the declaration of independence the government stopped interfering in the media outlets which for the most part were first privatised to their journalists and employees and later to local businessman and companies. Currently media ownership in Lithuania is concentrated among a small number of domestic and foreign companies.
Lithuania–Russia relations are the bilateral foreign relations between Lithuania and Russia. Lithuania has an embassy in Moscow and consulates in Kaliningrad and Sovetsk. Russia has an embassy in Vilnius. The two countries share a common border through Kaliningrad Oblast.
Lithuania–Ukraine relations are foreign relations between Lithuania and Ukraine. Both countries are members of the Lublin Triangle, OSCE, Council of Europe, World Trade Organization and United Nations. Lithuania supports Ukraine's European Union and NATO membership. Lithuania has an embassy in Kyiv and Ukraine has an embassy in Vilnius.
Belarus and Lithuania established diplomatic relations on 24 October 1991, shortly after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The two countries share 680 kilometres (420 mi) of common border. Lithuania's border with Belarus is the country's longest border. For Belarus it is its 3rd-longest border.
"Do not buy Russian goods!" or "Boycott Russian goods!" is a nonviolent resistance campaign to boycott Russian commerce in Ukraine. The protest started on 14 August 2013 as a reaction to a Russian Federation trade embargo against Ukraine. It was organized by Vidsich on social media. The campaign expanded to mass distribution of leaflets, posters, and stickers in over 45 cities and towns. Having faded by the beginning of the Euromaidan demonstrations in November 2013, it was renewed on 2 March 2014, during the Crimean crisis and the Russo-Ukrainian War.
Gitanas Nausėda is a Lithuanian politician, economist and banker who is serving as the ninth and current president of Lithuania since 2019. He was previously director of monetary policy at the Bank of Lithuania from 1996 to 2000 and chief economist to the chairman of SEB bankas from 2008 to 2018.
Stasys Jakeliūnas is a Lithuanian politician currently serving as a Member of the European Parliament (EP) for the populist Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union. Jakeliūnas has previously spent one incomplete term as MP at the Lithuanian Seimas, having been elected in 2016.
Azerbaijan—Lithuania relations refers to bilateral relations between Azerbaijan and Lithuania.
The Free Russia Forum is a conference of the Russian opposition, held twice a year in Vilnius (Lithuania). The forum was founded in March 2016 by Garry Kasparov and Ivan Tyutrin, the former executive director of the Russian democratic movement Solidarnost.
The Soviet economic blockade of Lithuania was imposed by the Soviet Union on Lithuania between 18 April and 2 July 1990.
Vladimir Mikhailovich Dzhabarov, is an Uzbek-born Russian statesman, politician, and former government agent who is a member of the Federation Council of from the Legislative Assembly of the Jewish Autonomous Oblast since 24 September 2009. He is a member of the United Russia party.
Edmundas Vaitekūnas is a Lithuanian politician, lawyer on intellectual property, and music teacher. He is a former long-term head of the Lithuanian Copyright Protection Association Agency (LATGA-A), and the former chairman of the Lithuanian Radio and Television Commission.
A series of restrictions on transit through Lithuania between the Russian semi-exclave of Kaliningrad Oblast and mainland Russia were implemented during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The restrictions extended only to sanctioned goods and began on 18 June 2022. It was lifted one month later on 23 July.
First Baltic channel was a Baltic pay television channel based on the largest Russian Channel One to broadcast its programs in the Baltic states. It was launched on 4 September 2002. The channel had also broadcast the local news programme Latvian time since June 2003. The channel was closed in Latvia on 26 October 2021 due to misinformation about COVID-19 and two other violations. Following the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022, its license was revoked and the channel was effectively banned in all three Baltic States.
Presidential elections are due to be held in Lithuania on 12 May 2024, alongside a referendum on allowing multiple citizenships. A second round will be held two weeks later if no candidate receives an absolute majority of the vote.
In Lithuania, the Medal of 13 January is a state medal of Lithuania, awarded for the contributions in the restoration of the independence of the state. The medal is awarded to Lithuanian and foreign citizens for defending the freedom and independence of Lithuania in between January and September 1991. The name references the January Events, the end of which ended on 13 January 1991.
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