Lithuania asks NATO for air defence help after Russian drone incidents
Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said on Wednesday that he had spoken with NATO Secretary-General Mark Rutte to discuss "regional security and the recent drone incidents in Lithuania".
The pair "agreed on the need of immediate steps to strengthen air defence capabilities along NATO's frontlines," Budrys wrote in a post on X.
Earlier this week, Lithuania said that a drone had crossed into the country on 28 July.
Defence Minister Dovile Sakaliene said that the drone was likely directed by Russia towards Kyiv but became disorientated by Ukraine's defences and unintentionally entered Lithuanian territory.
The drone, which was found in a military training area days later, was carrying explosives, according to the country's Prosecutor-General Nida Grunskiene.
Authorities identified it as a Russian Gerbera drone, a type usually used as a decoy in Moscow's strikes against Ukraine, according to local media reports.
Separately, the Lithuanian foreign ministry said earlier this month that it had demanded an explanation from Minsk over the "unlawful entry of a Russian-made Gerbera multi-purpose unmanned aerial vehicle into Lithuanian airspace from Belarus on 10 July."
"These repeated incidents represent an alarming sign of the spillover of Russia's aggression against Ukraine onto NATO territory," Budrys said on X on Tuesday.
"Air defence is vital to allied security. Securing NATO's Eastern Flank must remain a top priority for the Alliance."
NATO and EU member Lithuania borders Russia's Kaliningrad exclave and Moscow-allied Belarus.
In January, the Baltic state said it would raise its defence spending to between 5% and 6% of GDP starting next year, from the just over 3% it currently spends.
That made it the first NATO nation to vow to reach a new 5% target long demanded by US President Donald Trump.
Russia has ramped up strikes on Ukrainian cities in recent months, ignoring calls from Western leaders such as Trump to stop striking civilian areas after more than three years of war.
In addition to Lithuania, other eastern flank countries such as Romania, Poland and Latvia have reported incidents such as Russian drones violating their airspace and missiles being fired near their respective borders with Ukraine.
Lithuania's request to NATO came amid the Lithuanian government's resignation following Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas' decision to step down last week amid a series of corruption allegations.
President Gitanas Nausėda appointed Finance Minister Rimantas Šadžius as acting prime minister. He'll serve as the government's caretaker until a new cabinet is sworn in.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Local France
6 hours ago
- Local France
Can France's interior minister really confiscate your residency permit?
A video of a man casually lighting his cigarette from the eternal flame that burns on the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in Paris has shocked France. The man was swiftly arrested and, when it turned out that he was a Moroccan national living legally in France with a carte de séjour residency permit, the interior minister told French media that he will "take his permit". But does the minister actually have the power to do that to any foreigner who finds themselves at the centre of a social media storm, however distasteful or disrespectful we may find their behaviour? Withdrawal If you are a non-EU citizen and you are living in France with a residency permit ( carte de séjour ), there are two ways you can lose your residency rights; first, and much more common, is having your request to renew your card declined. This is not an immediate sanction, it allows you to continue to live in France while your card is valid, but it means that you will not be able to renew it, and will therefore have to leave once it reaches its expiry date. The second method, which is less common, is having the card withdrawn, meaning the person has to leave the country immediately. In 2020, 8,031 requests for renewal were refused, while 699 permits were withdrawn. A spokesman for Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau briefed French media that the cigarette-lighting man's card "will be withdrawn by the Minister", suggesting that they are referring to the second method, although no further detail was provided. Crimes The most common reason for cards being withdrawn is that the person has been convicted of a crime. In the case of the cigarette man, it is a specific criminal offence in France to "violate or desecrate" a memorial erected in memory of the dead, such as a war memorial. The same law also criminalises the violation or desecration of ordinary graves, tombs or urns designed to hold ashes. Advertisement The offence carries a maximum penalty of one year's imprisonment and a €15,000 fine. In this case the man has been remanded in custody but - although the video seems pretty clear - he had not actually been convicted of a crime at the time of the ministry's briefing. Being convicted of a crime in France is sufficient for your carte de séjour to be withdrawn - the sanction is usually reserved for those convicted of serious or violent crimes. In 2020, the most recent year for which a detailed breakdown of reasons is available , 36 percent of withdrawals were for serious crimes including aggravated violence, attempted murder, manslaughter, organised fraud, threats to a person holding public authority or drug trafficking. There were, however, cases of people having their permit withdrawn for less serious offences - although many of these cases involved people who had repeatedly been in trouble with the law for minor offences. It's reported in French media that the cigarette man is "well known" to police in Paris and has previously been involved in begging and public order problems. If he has been convicted of offences in relation to this, that could also be a reason to have his permit withdrawn - in 2020 seven percent of card withdrawals were for soliciting, begging or theft. A further 6.3 percent were for domestic violence offences and 5.9 percent were for driving offences, usually at the more serious end of the scale. Although cases involving radicalisation tend to make headlines, they accounted for just 3.2 percent of card withdrawals. Other But eight percent of card withdrawals come under the heading of "other reasons". This could include, for example, information being received that you obtained your card fraudulently or under false pretences (for example you had taken part in a fake marriage or you had presented forged documents with your dossier). READ ALSO : Overstaying, working without a permit and polygamy - what can get you deported from France? But it can, in rare cases, be linked to your public behaviour. Advertisement Under president Nicolas Sarkozy, a 2003 law was passed allowing for three possibilities to immediately withdraw a residency permit and expel a foreigner in France; if they have engaged in behaviours likely to undermine the fundamental interests of the State; that are linked to activities of a terrorist nature; or constitute acts of incitement toward discrimination, hatred or violence because of the origin or religion of persons. It's this law that has been used in several high-profile cases of influencers who were deemed to be making extremist, terrorist or anti-France statements. These provisions do not necessarily rely on a criminal conviction, and ultimately come down to the discretion of the Interior Minister.
Fashion Network
6 hours ago
- Fashion Network
Swiss government is still talking to the US to lower tariffs
Switzerland plans to continue negotiating with the US to lower tariffs from the 39% that kicked in on Thursday and will refrain from implementing countermeasures. The government 'remains firmly committed to pursuing discussions with the US with the aim of reducing these tariffs as swiftly as possible,' it said in a statement after an emergency meeting on Thursday. 'The Federal Council is maintaining close contact with US authorities and the affected industry sectors.' President Karin Keller-Sutter returned empty-handed on Thursday morning from Washington, where she had sought to sway Donald Trump before the tariff started. The two-day emergency trip turned into a humiliation as she was denied a meeting with her counterpart and instead only talked to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose department doesn't lead trade negotiations for bilateral deals. Speaking to reporters in Bern, Keller-Sutter said that Swiss negotiators stayed in Washington and are still attempting to get a deal. 'At present, tariff countermeasures in response to the US tariff increases aren't being considered, as they would impose additional costs on the Swiss economy — particularly through higher prices for imports from the US,' the government said, reiterating an earlier stance. The 39% surcharge on exports — from Swiss-made luxury watches to Nespresso coffee capsules – is the biggest among developed countries and compares with just 15% on the neighbouring European Union. Pharmaceuticals and gold are so far exempt. While pharmaceuticals are excluded from the trade duties — bringing the average rate below 25%, according to Bloomberg Economics — the stakes for Swiss companies, which are big players in the US market, are high and the scale of the duty exceeded all expectations. The government 'will also shortly engage in detailed discussions on potential relief measures for Swiss businesses and continue to assess the need for further economic policy action,' according to the statement. The cooperative stance clashes with a cross-party push of Swiss politicians on Thursday cancel an order for three dozen F-35A fighter jets from US defence conglomerate Lockheed Martin Corp. in response to the tariffs. The tariff level stunned the Swiss after negotiations that they thought looked promising. But things came to a head late last week when Trump threw out a negotiated framework deal on a call with Keller-Sutter. He was particularly irked by Switzerland's bilateral trade surplus with the US of about $38.5 billion last year. If the 39% rate comes into effect across the board — including on pharmaceuticals — that would put up to 1% of Switzerland's economic output at risk over the medium term, according to Jean Dalbard of Bloomberg Economics.
Fashion Network
6 hours ago
- Fashion Network
Swiss government is still talking to the US to lower tariffs
Switzerland plans to continue negotiating with the US to lower tariffs from the 39% that kicked in on Thursday and will refrain from implementing countermeasures. The government 'remains firmly committed to pursuing discussions with the US with the aim of reducing these tariffs as swiftly as possible,' it said in a statement after an emergency meeting on Thursday. 'The Federal Council is maintaining close contact with US authorities and the affected industry sectors.' President Karin Keller-Sutter returned empty-handed on Thursday morning from Washington, where she had sought to sway Donald Trump before the tariff started. The two-day emergency trip turned into a humiliation as she was denied a meeting with her counterpart and instead only talked to Secretary of State Marco Rubio, whose department doesn't lead trade negotiations for bilateral deals. Speaking to reporters in Bern, Keller-Sutter said that Swiss negotiators stayed in Washington and are still attempting to get a deal. 'At present, tariff countermeasures in response to the US tariff increases aren't being considered, as they would impose additional costs on the Swiss economy — particularly through higher prices for imports from the US,' the government said, reiterating an earlier stance. The 39% surcharge on exports — from Swiss-made luxury watches to Nespresso coffee capsules – is the biggest among developed countries and compares with just 15% on the neighbouring European Union. Pharmaceuticals and gold are so far exempt. While pharmaceuticals are excluded from the trade duties — bringing the average rate below 25%, according to Bloomberg Economics — the stakes for Swiss companies, which are big players in the US market, are high and the scale of the duty exceeded all expectations. The government 'will also shortly engage in detailed discussions on potential relief measures for Swiss businesses and continue to assess the need for further economic policy action,' according to the statement. The cooperative stance clashes with a cross-party push of Swiss politicians on Thursday cancel an order for three dozen F-35A fighter jets from US defence conglomerate Lockheed Martin Corp. in response to the tariffs. The tariff level stunned the Swiss after negotiations that they thought looked promising. But things came to a head late last week when Trump threw out a negotiated framework deal on a call with Keller-Sutter. He was particularly irked by Switzerland's bilateral trade surplus with the US of about $38.5 billion last year. If the 39% rate comes into effect across the board — including on pharmaceuticals — that would put up to 1% of Switzerland's economic output at risk over the medium term, according to Jean Dalbard of Bloomberg Economics.
