Last week, letter ‘Z’ spray-painted on US embassy sign in Vilnius; Lithuanian parliament outlawed DeepSeek on official devices
Young Argentinian woman kidnapped, freed
A young Argentinian woman was kidnapped and later found in Lithuania’s northeastern city of Utena. The suspect is also an Argentinian national, the Prosecutor General’s Office said on Thursday, the 13th of February. Officers were notified early Wednesday morning that a 21-year-old girl had been placed in a car in Utena against her will and was being driven around the city. Police officers stopped the car shortly afterwards and found the woman and the driver, a 28-year-old Argentinian national. A pre-trial investigation has been opened into the incident. According to preliminary data, the victim and the suspect work and live in Utena and were in a relationship for some time. They provided different accounts of the circumstances of this incident. According to the available information, no physical violence was used against the woman.
Letter ‘Z’ spray-painted on US embassy sign in Vilnius
An unidentified person spray-painted the letter “Z” on the sign of the US Embassy in Vilnius late Thursday, the 13th of February, night. According to the Police Department, the incident was recorded around 10:50 p.m. A pre-trial investigation has been launched for disturbing public order. The Russian military started using the letter “Z” when it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. In April 2022, the Lithuanian parliament banned the public display of the letters “Z” and “V”, the St. George ribbon, and other symbols of Russia’s war against Ukraine. These symbols are considered propaganda for military aggression and war crimes.
Three hostages released by the Belarusian regime reach Vilnius
Three hostages, previously held by Alexander Lukashenko’s authoritarian regime in Belarus, have been released and are currently in Vilnius, Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya said on Thursday, the 13th of February. Among those freed are activist Alena Maushuk and Andrei Kuznechyk, a journalist for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, who had been imprisoned in Belarus for over three years. U.S. officials confirmed on the 12th of February that they had successfully secured the release of three hostages held in Belarus, including one American citizen.
Minister says that US is not abandoning its allies
The United States is not withdrawing support from its allies but is urging Europe to take greater responsibility for its security, Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovile Šakalienė said on Wednesday, the 12th of February. Her comments follow the bold remarks made by the new U.S. Secretary of Defence, Pete Hegseth, who stated on the 11th of February that Washington will not send troops to Ukraine as part of any peace deal with Russia. He also acknowledged that it is unrealistic for Kyiv to fully reclaim its pre-2014 territory or gain Nato membership. “Europe must do more; Europe must recognize the threats. [Washington’s] call [on its allies] – voiced both publicly and behind closed doors – to talk with their societies to see whether they truly grasp the urgency of the situation, whether they understand the threat Russia poses and how close it really is, is an important message,” she said.
Lithuanian parliament outlaws DeepSeek on official devices
A ban on the use of DeepSeek, an AI chatbot developed in China, on devices provided by the Lithuanian parliament Seimas office came into effect on Wednesday, the 12th of February, Algirdas Stončaitis, the chancellor of the Seimas, said. The ban was introduced as a precautionary measure to protect data security from potential risks posed by the Chinese AI tool. The chancellor clarified that extending the ban to MPs would require approval from the Seimas Board. However, parliamentary staff are still allowed to use the tool on personal devices. Lithuania is also considering restricting DeepSeek at the government level.
PM insists he is not abandoning military spending goals
Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas reaffirmed his commitment to significantly increasing defense spending, stating, “We are not backing down; these are the goals that have been set” in an interview with LRT on Tuesday, the 11th of February. Last month, the Lithuanian State Defence Council, which includes both political and military leaders, agreed to raise Lithuania’s military expenditure to 5–6% of GDP over the next five years. However, debate arose following Paluckas’ statement on February 10 that this target had not been formalized in any official document. Besides, the country’s leadership has not decided on the sources of the additional defense funding. Speaking after a coalition council meeting on Monday, the 10th of February, the prime minister clarified that the proposed defense spending increase is not explicitly outlined in the government program or the coalition agreement. His position was later reinforced by Parliament Speaker Saulius Skvernelis, who confirmed that no formal document exists committing Lithuania to this level of spending.
Foreign minister says his country will need to ‘move at Trump’s speed’
After a visit to Washington, Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys stated on Tuesday, the 11th of February, that U.S. partner countries should support Donald Trump’s agenda to maintain strong relations with the United States. The United States is Lithuania’s main ally, however, with Trump in the Oval Office, there is fear of change in America’s role in Europe. “One piece of advice I heard was to take President Trump very seriously, but not literally, and get involved. It is a big mistake to take everything literally but not seriously,” Budrys wrote on Facebook on the 10th of February, emphasizing that Washington’s allies must be ready to “move at Trump’s speed”, the minister said.
Defense minister says Russia’s military power has grown threefold
Russia’s military capabilities have tripled since its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė stated on Tuesday, the 11th of February. According to Šakalienė, Russia is rapidly expanding its military industry, strengthening ties with China, North Korea, and Iran, and demonstrating the ability not only to sustain combat operations in Ukraine but also to rebuild and enhance its military strength. “Russia’s military capabilities are already three times greater than they were when the large-scale invasion of Ukraine began three years ago. And all of this has happened in the context of an active war,” she said in an interview with the news website 15min.lt, published on the 10th of February. She warned that any slowdown on the Ukrainian front that significantly reduces Russian losses would allow Moscow to accelerate its preparations for future conflicts.
Lithuania launches updated Vilnius-Tallinn train route
Lithuania’s railways introduced an improved route to Tallinn, now requiring just one interchange and a single 39-euro ticket instead of the previous two interchanges and three separate tickets, Lithuanian Railways said on Monday, the 10th of February. The railway operators of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia plan to introduce a direct Vilnius–Riga–Tallinn connection in the near future, eliminating the interchange at Valga, Estonia. The journey time will be ten hours and 29 minutes. For comparison, the 600-kilometre journey by car takes about eight hours, while bus services complete the route in roughly nine hours.