LRT English Newsletter – July 24, 2026.
Lithuanians love counting other people’s money, as the saying goes, so here’s a list of the top-earning companies last year. There are few surprises – Vilniaus Prekyba behind the Maxima chain remains the most profitable firm, followed by Tesonet and Thermo Fisher Baltic.
In other economic news, shipping volumes at the Klaipėda port have been increasing, while Lithuania’s GDP deficit was among the lowest in the EU. Meanwhile, foreign workers are filling gaps in another crucial sector, as increasingly more farm workers are coming from outside Lithuania and the EU.
Speaking of workforce issues: Lithuania is facing one of the biggest population declines in the EU, with discussions on countering the demographic crisis now being increasingly politicised (recall the earlier proposal for state-sponsored discos to get people to mingle – and have babies).
SO IS RUSSIA UP TO SOMETHING?
Following last week’s announcement of potential provocations, Lithuania’s armed forces have increased protection of the LNG terminal and other critical infrastructure. The military also launched drills focused on protecting infrastructure sites, with Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas repeating earlier warnings that Moscow could be eyeing the Baltics or Poland as the next target. At the same time, Lithuania’s top general said there was no threat of a conventional attack. And if such a threat did materialise, NATO would deploy additional forces, the president's office said.
WAR IS CHANGING
Britain announced last week it would replace its tanks in Estonia with drones, with officials saying the move reflects lessons from Ukraine and the changing nature of war. Mind you, this doesn’t mean the Brits are completely abandoning standard doctrine – they are adopting platforms already in use in countries like Lithuania, including the Boxer IFVs, but the shift still does signal the change of times. Does it also mean the tank is dead? Not quite, experts say.
ŽEMAITAITIS FOUND GUILTY
The firebrand politician, Remigijus Žemaitaitis, appealed his earlier conviction for antisemitism – but the court upheld the guilty verdict and even increased the fine. According to the appeals courts, he deliberately fuelled ethnic division by accusing Jewish people of being responsible for Soviet crimes in Lithuania, as well as “grossly trivialising” the Holocaust.
Žemaitaitis condemned the verdict as politicised and pledged to go to higher courts. But the suspense now is whether the parliament will start an impeachment procedure against him – again.
NEW MONUMENT (IN BRUSSELS)?
A new monument idea for commemorating victims of Soviet, as well as Nazi, crimes is taking off in Brussels, with six more countries joining the Lithuanian-led initiative.
This seeks to bring about historical truth by condemning Soviet atrocities on par with those of the Nazis, as sought for many years by Baltic and Eastern European countries. This reflects a long-running debate that EU countries, which were formerly occupied by the USSR, never got their share of historical justice and public acknowledgement of Soviet crimes.
(Essential reading on the subject: Yellow Star, Red Star by Jelena Subotić).
EDITOR’S PICKS:
– Check out this cool mediaeval ship.
– Vilnius is building a movie studio.
– Vilnius is running out of trolleybuses.
– And here are some myth-busting tips about how to beat the summer heat (not like that’s a problem any longer).
Written by Benas Gerdžiūnas
Edited by Justinas Šuliokas
Newsletter
Every Friday morning.
