Lithuania

Today, Lithuanians will vote in the presidential election, where incumbent President Gitanas Nausėda has a good chance of winning thanks to his support for Ukraine and focus on security issues.

Iryna Kobeleva, a 16-year-old girl from Mariupol, won 5 medals, including 4 gold and 1 silver, at the European Wushu Championships in Stockholm.

The second semi-final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 took place on May 9 in Malmö, where 10 more countries - Latvia, Austria, the Netherlands, Norway, Israel, Greece, Estonia, Switzerland, Georgia and Armenia - advanced to the grand final on May 11, joining the 10 countries that had qualified from the first semi-final.

The participation of several EU diplomats in Putin's inauguration in Moscow does not contradict the EU's agreed position on continuing to support Ukraine against Russia's illegal aggression, an EU spokesman said.

Poles are outraged by the behavior of Ukrainian singer Jerry Heil, who recorded a video wearing a sweater with the inscription "Banderaciaga. Social media users have accused her of supporting Stepan Bandera and are urging her not to vote for Ukraine at the Eurovision Song Contest in 2024.

The UK expels a russian defense attaché, revokes the diplomatic status of some russian facilities, and restricts russian diplomatic visas in response to moscow's "malicious activities" and illegal war in Ukraine.

Ukrainian singers Alyona Alyona and Jerry Heil have reached the final of the Eurovision Song Contest 2024 along with artists from Serbia, Portugal, Slovenia, Lithuania, Finland, Cyprus, Croatia, Ireland, and Luxembourg.

President Zelenskyy held phone conversations with the prime ministers of Spain and Belgium, who confirmed their participation in the inaugural Peace Summit in Switzerland on June 15-16, and discussed defense cooperation and Ukraine's integration into the EU.

Lithuania will provide Ukraine with air defense systems, joining Germany in providing additional military support.

President Zelenskyy has held international talks and personally invited the leaders of Lithuania, Poland, Estonia, and Canada to the upcoming Global Peace Summit in Switzerland to garner support for the Ukrainian peace formula and force Russia to peace.

The European Union is hesitant to attend Vladimir Putin's inauguration ceremony, but EU High Representative Josep Borrell opposes the EU's participation in the event.

Scholz calls on partners to provide Ukraine with more Patriot air defense systems from their existing stockpiles to strengthen Ukraine's air defense capabilities.

France will send its ambassador to Putin's inauguration for another six-year term, media reports say.

Germany plans to deploy a permanent brigade to Lithuania to strengthen NATO's eastern defense. The deployment of the German brigade in the Baltic country is "in full swing.

Ukraine calls on the world not to recognize Vladimir Putin as the legitimate president of Russia due to the undemocratic nature of the recent elections and Russia's ongoing aggression against Ukraine.

Hungary will not extradite Ukrainian male refugees of military age to Ukraine, guaranteeing their safety and providing the necessary assistance.

Germany will not send representatives to the inauguration of Russian President Vladimir Putin on May 7. Berlin emphasizes that the elections in Russia did not meet democratic standards.

Some members of the European Parliament earn extra money by working part-time for private companies, raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest and influence on EU policy-making.

If elected president, Trump plans to demand that NATO allies increase defense spending to 3% of GDP, excluding aid to Ukraine.

Ukraine has won the ІВ division of the 2024 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship and will be promoted to the IA division for the first time in 7 years.

NATO has condemned Russia's malicious cyber campaign against the Social Democratic Party of Germany and Czech institutions. The Alliance is considering a coordinated response.

NATO condemns Russia's hybrid actions against Allies and will respond to such attacks individually and collectively, while continuing to support Ukraine.

Macron said that France does not rule out the deployment of ground troops in Ukraine if Russia continues its aggression.

The American military battalion will remain in Lithuania indefinitely, and not until the end of 2025, as previously planned.

Since the start of the full-scale invasion, the Ministry of Education and Science, with the support of international partners, has provided 218,188 devices to Ukrainian students and teachers, most of them in Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipro regions.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonite said that the return of Ukrainian citizens liable for military service home requires discussions at the level of the European Union.

Over the weekend, Baltic ministers warned of the risk of an air disaster due to GPS jamming blamed on Russia, after two Finnish flights were forced to turn around midway due to interference with navigation signals.

Latvia has started building anti-tank ditches near its eastern border as part of the Baltic Defense Line to deter potential military threats.

Latvia has donated a 250 MVA transformer, compressor, and transformer oil to Ukraine to help supply power and heat critical infrastructure after the russian missile attacks.

The former Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania joked about the future destruction of the Crimean Bridge, while Moscow began to threaten the diplomat.