Finland officially withdrew from the Ottawa Convention on the Prohibition of Anti-Personnel Mines on January 10, following similar steps by other countries. This decision allows Finland to once again use anti-personnel mines in its military arsenal.
Latvian law enforcement is investigating damage to an underwater fiber optic communication cable that occurred on January 2. Police checked a vessel in the port of Liepāja that may be involved in the incident.
Vilnius Airport's operations were hampered by abnormal snowfalls on January 4, leading to flight delays. This was due to the thickest snow cover in 15 years and the need for additional runway clearing.
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys recalled that Nicolás Maduro's regime supported Russia's aggressive war against Ukraine. Lithuania did not recognize Maduro as the legitimate president of Venezuela.
National security advisers from European countries have arrived in Kyiv. They will hold consultations on security and economic issues, and coordinate further steps with partners.
The Ministry of Energy reported that Ukraine transported 6. 9 billion cubic meters of gas through interstate entry points in the year following the cessation of Russian gas transit. This concerns the needs of Ukraine and other countries through the Ukrainian GTS.
Lithuania has updated its national security strategy, warning of an existential threat from Russia, which could start a war against NATO by the end of the decade. The new strategy emphasizes armed defense, societal resilience, and allies.
Estonia will chair the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) format from January 1, 2026, coordinating the efforts of eight countries. Key priorities include supporting Ukraine and increasing pressure on the aggressor.
Since PURL was launched in August, 24 countries have joined it, and the total amount of contributions is $4. 3 billion. This allows for the purchase of American weapons, including missiles for Patriots, and strengthening Ukraine's defense.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda stated that Russia's appetites in peace negotiations regarding Ukraine are too great, and the Kremlin's lack of reaction indicates Moscow's unwillingness to end the war. He noted that the United States has leverage, but Moscow's appetites are currently "exorbitant."
The Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called Russia's reports of an attack on Putin's residence a false flag operation. This was done to justify possible strikes on Ukraine and disrupt agreements in Mar-a-Lago.
Latvia has officially completed the construction of 280 km of engineering barriers on the border with Russia. This is the first stage of a comprehensive protection system, which is supplemented by modern video surveillance and technical monitoring systems.
The Lithuanian authorities decided to extend until January 2, 2027, temporary restrictions on the transit by road of certain dual-use goods. This is done to prevent their use in the war against Ukraine and to strengthen European security.
The Ministries of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania and Spain condemned Russia's massive night attack on Ukraine, calling it a deliberate campaign of terror against the civilian population. They emphasized that the shelling during the Christmas period is another attempt by Moscow to escalate the conflict.
Lithuania officially completed the procedure of withdrawal from the Ottawa Convention on December 27, which allows it to use and produce anti-personnel mines. The country plans to spend hundreds of millions of euros on the purchase and production of tens of thousands of units of ammunition.
The President of Poland was informed about the incident with objects from Belarus and the interception of a Russian aircraft. An analysis of the events, which may be a provocation, is underway.
According to Flightradar, Santa has already visited Ukraine, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, and Sweden. He continues his journey across Europe.
The draw for the group stage of the 2026/2027 Nations League will take place on February 12, 2026, in Brussels. The Ukrainian national team will compete in League B.
Switzerland has deported about 100 Ukrainian refugees, including the large Bohachuk family from Kharkiv, who were denied protection status S due to their previous stay in Lithuania. The Swiss migration service is demanding that they urgently leave the country, despite two years of living in Geneva and the children's adaptation to local schools.
Several citizens of Belarus, Russia, and Lithuania are suspected of transferring EU-funded technologies to Russia's military industry. Five individuals and one company have been notified of suspicion, and more than ten searches have been conducted in various cities of Lithuania.
The European Commission has successfully transferred a thermal power plant from Lithuania to Ukraine. This will provide electricity to approximately 1 million Ukrainians, restoring critical energy capacities.
US President Donald Trump will sign into law on December 18 the defense policy bill for fiscal year 2026, which regulates military pay raises and measures to respond to geopolitical threats, and also provides for the allocation of $800 million to Ukraine for the purchase of American weapons.
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban said that the EU plan to use frozen Russian assets to finance Ukraine is “dead. ” According to him, not enough leaders supported the idea.
Information about 360,000 Russian troops in Belarus is not true. According to the Center for Countering Disinformation and Lithuanian intelligence, only a few thousand Russian servicemen are there.
The Latvian government will allocate 2. 42 million euros to strengthen the protection of Riga Airport from unauthorized drone flights. The project envisages the introduction of modern technologies for detecting, identifying, tracking and neutralizing drones.
Lithuanian authorities have arrested 21 individuals allegedly linked to a criminal network that smuggled cigarettes from Belarus using weather balloons. The operation involved over 80 searches and the seizure of contraband goods, luxury cars, and weapons.
The "Ramstein-32" meeting brought Ukraine record financial commitments for 2026, including 11. 5 billion euros from Germany and 7 billion dollars from Norway. Partner countries also transferred new Patriot and IRIS-T air defense systems, and allocated funds for drones, artillery, and ammunition.
The US President called the bloc's members 'weak', but joint action on funding for Ukraine would send a 'very strong signal', according to Kaja Kallas.
In Volyn, border guards discovered a balloon with 1,500 packs of Belarusian cigarettes, likely destined for Poland. The value of the contraband is about 90 thousand hryvnias.
A transnational network of fraudulent call centers operating in Kyiv, Dnipro, and Ivano-Frankivsk has been liquidated in Ukraine. The perpetrators defrauded EU citizens of over 50 million hryvnias using "vishing" and other schemes.
