Latest news with #GintautasPaluckas
Russia Today
6 days ago
- Business
- Russia Today
EU state's PM refutes Zelensky's latest ‘Russian threat' claim
There is no indication that the upcoming Russian-Belarusian military exercises pose a threat, Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas has said, rejecting concerns raised by Ukraine's Vladimir Zelensky. Speaking in Vilnius on Tuesday, Paluckas responded to comments made by Zelensky at the NATO Eastern Flank Summit, also in the Lithuanian capital, where he urged European leaders to ask their intelligence agencies 'what Russia is planning in Belarus this summer' and suggested that Kiev and its backers might require additional joint forces. 'I don't know what information the Ukrainian intelligence service or the Ukrainian president have at their disposal,' Paluckas told reporters. 'As regards the Zapad exercise, information is being gathered not only by our intelligence agencies, but also by NATO's intelligence agencies, and all the conclusions are the same: the exercise, which is currently being organized, does not pose any problems or additional threats in terms of its scope and other aspects,' he stressed. 'There's no need to be alarmed,' he added. The Lithuanian prime minister noted that Ukraine isn't the only country collecting information about the upcoming Zapad-2025 exercises and that NATO is also monitoring the situation. 'NATO does not view these drills as dangerous,' Paluckas stressed Last week, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin announced that the Zapad-2025 exercises, scheduled for September, would be reduced in scale and moved further inland, away from the country's western borders. The relocation is intended to reduce regional tension, demonstrate Minsk's readiness for dialogue, and to counter what he called 'stereotypical speculations' by NATO member states, he stated. Both Moscow and Minsk have stressed that the exercise is defensive in nature. Zelensky's suggestion that the upcoming exercises pose some sort of threat to the West comes as a number of European nations have recently taken to drastically increasing their military budgets citing the supposed threat posed by Russia. Moscow, however, has repeatedly dismissed claims it plans to attack Western Europe as 'nonsense,' accusing the West of using scare tactics to justify shifting public funds toward military spending.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Lithuania simplifies arms procurement from its manufacturers, particularly for Ukraine
The Lithuanian government has eased requirements for state defence procurement in order to speed up and simplify procedures for local manufacturers. Source: a statement by the Lithuanian Ministry of Defence, as reported by European Pravda Details: The Lithuanian government has decided that purchases of drones, anti-drone systems, optical equipment and laser target designators from domestic manufacturers will be exempt from the requirements of the Law on Defence and Security Procurement. "The aim of procuring this military equipment is to supply both the Ukrainian and Lithuanian armed forces with equipment manufactured or finally assembled in Lithuania," the statement reads. Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT reported that following the changes, Lithuania's Ministry of Defence will spend €12 million on anti-drone systems, €9 million on optical equipment and €1.5 million on laser target designators. The ministry aims to encourage Lithuanian manufacturers to develop their technical capabilities so that by 2027, the Lithuanian Armed Forces will have achieved operational capability in unmanned aerial systems. Background: In mid-January, Lithuania's State Defence Council decided that the country should spend 5 to 6% of its GDP on defence, or about €12 billion over the next five years. Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas has announced that the country will allocate 5.25% of its GDP to defence in 2026. Support Ukrainska Pravda on Patreon!
Irish Times
15-05-2025
- Politics
- Irish Times
Russia sends fighter jet as Estonia tries to inspect shadow oil tanker
Russia deployed a fighter jet in Nato airspace this week after Estonia tried to inspect a so-called shadow fleet tanker passing the EU-member's economic area, Estonia's foreign minister Margus Tsahkna said. The spokesperson for Russia's foreign ministry did not mention the incident in a weekly briefing nor was a question asked, although a video purportedly of the flyover has appeared widely in Russian media. The jet briefly breached Estonian airspace on Tuesday, prompting Lithuania to urge caution among European countries. 'The likelihood of a serious escalation is increasing with each step' after the Russian jet entered Nato airspace, 'signalling that such tankers in the Baltic Sea are being protected by Russian military forces,' Lithuanian prime minister Gintautas Paluckas said. READ MORE The Russia-bound oil tanker named as Jaguar refused to obey orders when the Estonian navy attempted to check its paperwork, Estonian officials said. The vessel was followed by Estonian naval ships and aircraft on Tuesday over concerns it could pose a threat to undersea electricity cables. The vessel entered Estonia's exclusive economic zone without a flag 'and we responded in the proper way,' Mr Tsahkna said at a Nato foreign ministers' meeting in Turkey on Thursday. 'What is different and important is that the Russian Federation sent a fighter jet to check the situation and this fighter jet violated Nato territory for close to one minute.' The incident came just days ahead of Thursday's meeting of top US and European diplomats in Antalya, Turkey for expected peace talks between Ukraine and Russia. Nato jets responded before the situation de-escalated, Estonian officials said. The foreign ministry summoned the Russian envoy in Tallinn. Estonian authorities stopped short of boarding the vessel by force after it ignored radio instructions. It was allowed to travel outside the Baltic nation's exclusive economic zone, the Estonian navy said. The incident was widely reported by Russian media based on an unverified video circulating on Telegram. The international shipping database Equasis says the ship in question has been called the Argent since earlier this year, and that it sails under the flag of Guinea-Bissau. Equasis does not list a means of contacting the entities that operate the vessel. European nations have increased inspections of vessels in the Baltic Sea since last summer, after a spate of incidents where commercial ships damaged underwater gas pipes, power lines and internet cables. The Baltic Sea is a key route for the Russian oil trade, a major source of revenue for the Russian government despite western restrictions. If Russia is 'tampering' against the Estonian navy 'it's precisely because our sanctions are biting,' French foreign minister Jean-Noël Barrot said in Turkey. – Bloomberg
Russia Today
09-05-2025
- Politics
- Russia Today
EU state asks citizens not to celebrate WWII Victory Day
Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas has urged the people of his country not to celebrate the 80th anniversary of victory over Nazi Germany on May 9. Along with other Baltic states, Lithuania has ramped up its decades-long efforts to erase its Soviet past amid the conflict between Russia and Ukraine. Last year, the EU country prohibited 'certain public events' which are traditionally held on May 9. The government in Vilnius has also banned the display of St. George ribbons and other Soviet symbols, with fines of up to €700 ($787) for violations. Paluckas told journalists on Thursday that the Lithuanian security services had warned the government 'there is a possibility that certain small groups of people could try to stage provocations or behave inappropriately' on May 9. He went on to express hope that the law enforcement agencies will help prevent any 'serious problems.' 'My recommendation is to simply not celebrate tomorrow and follow our European tradition of what and how to celebrate,' the prime minister said. Lithuania, along with the rest of the EU, marks the allied victory over Nazi Germany on May 8. The country celebrates Europe Day on May 9. The Lithuanian police said they intensified efforts to monitor the dissemination of forbidden Soviet symbols online ahead of Victory Day, adding that the presence of officers in public places will be increased on Friday. Russia has accused Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia of discriminating against their Russian-speaking populations by restricting Victory Day celebrations. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova has said the behavior of the Baltic nations has 'long gone beyond the legal framework' and 'firmly established itself beyond the boundaries of common sense and humanity.'
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Missing U.S. soldiers' vehicle submerged more than 16 feet in peat bog as search continues
Rescuers in Lithuania were digging in a peat bog Thursday as they tried to recover the submerged vehicle of four U.S. Army soldiers who went missing during a training exercise earlier this week. The M88 Hercules armored recovery vehicle was found more than 16 feet below ground on Wednesday, a day after the soldiers went missing while training with Lithuanian armed forces and law enforcement. Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas expressed support for the rescue operation on Thursday after visiting the training ground near the town of Pabradė, about 30 miles south of the Lithuanian capital, Vilnius, and 6 miles from the border with Belarus. 'Our thoughts & prayers are with their families and brothers in arms,' he said in a post on X. He was joined at the scene by Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė, who said she was 'deeply saddened' by the soldiers' disappearance. 'Everybody remains on standby, ready to provide emergency medical support,' she said on X. Šakalienė told Lithuanian broadcaster LRT on Thursday that overnight rescue efforts involved water pumping and ground reinforcement, leading to 'certain positive signs that give hope for a quicker scenario.' The U.S. Army said Wednesday that the search for the soldiers, all from 1st Brigade, 3rd Infantry Division, was continuing and that recovery efforts were underway by the U.S. Army, Lithuanian Armed Forces and civilian agencies. President Donald Trump told reporters Wednesday evening that he had not been briefed about the missing soldiers. The NATO military alliance also said the search was ongoing, clarifying comments that Secretary-General Mark Rutte made earlier Wednesday suggesting that the missing soldiers had died. 'He was referring to emerging news reports & was not confirming the fate of the missing, which is still unknown,' a spokesperson said in a post on X. Lithuania, a former Soviet republic that is now in the European Union, has been a NATO member since 2004. It has hosted hundreds of American troops on a rotational basis since 2014 as part of a U.S. operation called 'Atlantic Resolve' in Eastern Europe and the Baltic region, which began after Russia seized Crimea from Ukraine. The country shares a 421-mile border with Belarus, led by Alexander Lukashenko, who was sworn in for a seventh term on Tuesday and has been called 'Europe's last dictator.' Lukashenko has been a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, allowing him to use Belarus as a staging area for his invasion of Ukraine in 2022. This article was originally published on
