Lithuania

In the semi-finals and final of Eurovision-2025 in Basel, viewers will see performances by winners of past years, including NEMO, Baby Lasagna and Jerry Heil.

As of the end of March 2025, over 4. 26 million Ukrainians have received temporary protection in the EU. Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic accepted the most refugees.

Poland has accused two Ukrainians of setting fire to the Marywilska 44 shopping center, suspecting them of collaborating with Russia. Also, the authorities are closing the Russian consulate in Krakow due to possible involvement in the incident, and the Russian ambassador has been summoned to the Polish Foreign Ministry.

Oleksiy Poroshenko did not pay the military tax on income abroad for 2023-2024. The amount of unpaid taxes is estimated at UAH 770 million.

The Lithuanian Parliament has approved the denunciation of the Ottawa Convention banning anti-personnel mines. This will allow the country to deter Russia from invading and strengthen military capabilities.

Serbian President Vucic visited Moscow on the eve of the May 9 parade, despite warnings about the risks to Serbia's accession to the EU. Vucic said he is ready to take personal responsibility for this visit.

Latvia and Lithuania did not allow Slovak Prime Minister Fico to fly to Moscow, as did Estonia. The reason is participation in the Kremlin's propaganda event on May 9, which is incompatible with EU values.

lavrov criticized EU countries for obstructing visits by European leaders to moscow on May 9. He also accused the EU of double standards regarding Ukraine and Serbia.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania stated that the probability of an unstable peace in Ukraine, imposed by Russia with the support of the United States, is low. US mediation has shown that peace with the Russian Federation is unlikely.

Lithuania and Latvia did not allow the plane of Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic to fly through their airspace. He was planning to visit Russia on May 9.

Only 14 EU countries have formally requested increased defense spending, casting doubt on the European Commission's €800 billion ReArm Europe plan due to limited budgetary capacity.

Lithuanian conservatives propose building a high-tech defense line on the eastern border. It will include anti-personnel mines, anti-tank ditches, and long-range artillery, costing €1 billion.

Lithuania will revoke residence permits for Russians who visit Russia or Belarus more than once every three months. Exceptions include transit carriers and objective reasons.

A 59-year-old Georgian native is on trial in Greece for collecting data in the port of Alexandroupolis, which is key to helping Ukraine. He allegedly transmitted information to the GRU through a Georgian citizen in Lithuania.

On May 3, the Ukrainian national ice hockey team will play a match against Japan, a victory in which will allow them to play in the elite division for the first time in 18 years. Broadcast at 12:30 on «Suspilne Sport».

Georgia dropped 11 positions in the press freedom ranking due to the hostile environment for the media and attacks on journalists. Ukraine took 62nd place, and Russia – 171st, dropping by 9 lines.

Marta Kos declared her support for the opening of Cluster 1 for Ukraine and Moldova in the EU. The European Commission positively assesses Ukraine's progress in reforms for accession.

In 2024, almost 50,000 Ukrainians received certificates of proficiency in the state language. 18 audio guides and theatrical productions were launched abroad.

Against the backdrop of Russian aggression against Ukraine, 16 countries in the EU have initiated a request to activate the "exception clause". This should facilitate the transition to higher defense spending at the national level.

In 2024, more than 93 million people in the EU were at risk of poverty, with Bulgaria and Romania being the leaders. The lowest rates were recorded in the Czech Republic and Slovenia.

National Security Advisor Waltz stated that the US can no longer subsidize European security due to the large debt. Aid to Ukraine should be provided under the leadership of Europe.

European armies are understaffed and underfunded, making it difficult to create a deterrent force in Ukraine. Many countries are not ready to provide soldiers.

Volodymyr Zelenskyy stated that russia is preparing something in belarus, hiding behind military exercises. He emphasized that countries bordering the russian federation should be ready for any events.

The government of Montenegro is initiating a review of all honorary citizenships granted to foreigners. The decision was made following the case of a businessman who is implicated in a case involving the embezzlement of more than €2.2 million.

The Cabinet approved an agreement with Latvia on mutual recognition and exchange of national driver's licenses. A similar agreement has been in effect with Lithuania since October 2023.

Latvian companies will supply 12,000 drones within the framework of the Drone Coalition. Support for the coalition to Ukraine in 2024 amounted to EUR 1.8 billion.

The President of Lithuania condemned the possible recognition of Crimea as Russian, calling it a "bomb". He stressed that the opinion of Ukraine, which has suffered aggression, should be taken into account first and foremost.

Власти Вильнюса обнародовали план эвакуации на случай военного вторжения, гибридных атак, ядерных угроз и стихийных бедствий. План разработан на основе опыта Украины и городов США.

Russian intelligence services organized a series of arson attacks in Europe, using parcels with incendiary devices disguised as ordinary goods.

NATO fighters were scrambled twice to identify and escort Russian aircraft that violated flight rules. Il-20 and Su-24 were identified on April 14 and 18.