LRT English Newsletter – January 9, 2025.
Following the US attack on Venezuela and the abduction of President Nicolás Maduro, reactions in Lithuania have been… mixed.
Left-wing groups staged a protest of around 50 people outside the US Embassy in Vilnius, warning against American imperialism and cautioning that Venezuela could become “another Iraq or Afghanistan.” Meanwhile, political scientists framed the events as a sign of a shifting global order, pointing to a return to multipolarity and a growing erosion of trust in international law and institutions – developments that are particularly concerning for small states like Lithuania.
Lithuania’s foreign minister dismissed comparisons between US actions in Venezuela and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, arguing that Moscow’s full‑scale invasion violated international law by attacking a sovereign neighbour that posed no threat and was governed by a legitimately elected administration – unlike the Maduro government, which Lithuania does not recognise.
When it comes to the US capture of Maduro, international law is “complicated”, claimed Lithuania’s presidential adviser. She reiterated that European security is currently unimaginable without American support when asked whether Lithuania and the EU are reluctant to criticise Washington due to the US role as Europe’s primary security guarantor.
Lithuanian authorities have also adhered to the EU’s “strongly worded” line in response to Donald Trump’s threats that Greenland should be brought under US control. Baltic foreign ministers reaffirmed Scandinavian leaders’ position that the territory belongs to Denmark, while Lithuania’s EU commissioner echoed the Danish prime minister’s warning that US seizure of Greenland would mark the end of NATO.
VOLKOV IN TROUBLE
Calls to revoke the Lithuanian residency of Russian opposition figure Leonid Volkov have sparked a fresh debate over the limits of free expression in Lithuania, which has positioned itself as a haven for Kremlin critics.
Volkov, a close associate of the late Alexei Navalny and former head of the Anti-Corruption Foundation, came under fire after private messages surfaced in which he appeared to welcome the reported killing of Denis Kapustin, a far-right figure and head of the Russian Volunteer Corps (RVC) fighting against Moscow and harshly criticised Ukrainian officials.
The remarks triggered backlash from Lithuanian politicians, with several MPs arguing that Volkov’s statements are incompatible with Lithuania’s security interests and moral stance on Ukraine. Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė described the comments as “unacceptable” and said Volkov should not be allowed to remain in the country. The Migration Department has since asked the State Security Department to assess whether his presence poses a national security threat, a review that could lead to the revocation of his temporary residence permit.
Volkov has publicly apologised for the messages, calling them “foolish” and emotionally driven, but stood by his criticism of neo-Nazism and what he described as propagandistic rhetoric from Ukraine’s leadership, which, he claims, “plays into Kremlin propaganda by reinforcing the narrative that the world is collectively hostile toward Russians”.
DAMAGED UNDERSEA CABLE
An undersea fibre-optic cable linking Lithuania and Latvia was damaged last Friday near the Latvian port of Liepāja, initially raising suspicions that a vessel crossing the route may have been responsible. Latvian authorities boarded the ship and questioned its crew as part of the investigation, while the cable’s owner rerouted data traffic to avoid service disruptions, claiming the cable should be repaired within the next week or two.
However, upon inspecting the vessel, Latvian State Police said there is no indication the ship caused the damage. The crew fully cooperated with investigators, but the exact cause of the cable break remains unclear, and the investigation is ongoing.
The incident comes amid heightened scrutiny of subsea infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, where repeated disruptions since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022 have kept governments and NATO on alert over the security of critical underwater links.
MIGRATION AND LANGUAGE
Last year, Lithuanian border guards detained 1,288 migrants who entered Latvia via Belarus before attempting to move westward – more than double the 2024 figure. Most were Somali or Afghan nationals, who reported being flown from their countries of origin to Russia using valid travel documents, travelling by car to Belarus and crossing into Latvia with the help of smugglers, before being picked up at prearranged locations and transported westward.
Language policy is also under scrutiny. This week, Lithuania’s Supreme Administrative Court ruled that primary schools for ethnic minorities are failing to provide sufficient Lithuanian instruction, putting pupils at a disadvantage. The court mandated that Lithuanian lessons in national minority schools must match the teaching time allocated to the minority language – a change from the current system, where grades 1-4 receive five Lithuanian lessons per week compared with seven in their native language.
ECONOMY
Silver is shining brighter than ever in Lithuania. Prices have skyrocketed from $30 (€25,7) an ounce at the start of 2025 to nearly $82 (€70.3) by December, with Lithuanians snapping it up even by the kilogram. The surge is fueled by a mix of speculative investment, growing industrial demand in electronics and solar panels, and a global supply crunch. But the market is volatile – prices can drop 10% in a single day – reminding investors that what climbs fast can fall just as quickly.
Meanwhile, Lithuania’s housing market is breaking records and shows no signs of slowing. Pension reforms and looser lending rules are boosting buyers’ spending power, while geopolitical uncertainty and potential supply-demand gaps are adding fuel to the fire. Experts warn that affordability may become an increasingly pressing concern in 2026.
In the financial sector, British payments platform Zilch has agreed to acquire Lithuania-based Fjord Bank, which would give Zilch a European banking license and pave the way for faster continental expansion. Zilch plans to establish its European headquarters in Lithuania. The transaction is expected to close in the second half of 2026, pending regulatory approval.
EDITOR’S PICKS:
– What can Lithuania learn from other countries’ experiences with integration?
– Nine changes coming to Lithuania in 2026.
– 2025 in focus: A year captured through the lenses of our photographers.
– Some Lithuanians earn a lot, even by global standards.
– Behind bars in Belarus: stories from prisoners who were recently freed.
– Trying for a baby? You’re not trying hard enough.
Written by Austė Sargytė
Edited by Benas Gerdžiūnas
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