LRT English Newsletter – October 16, 2026.
Lithuania is planning to change the laws surrounding platform work. The changes aim to make the conditions better for the growing workforce who are named as “partners”, but have few – if any – possibilities to negotiate rates or even challenge automatic decisions taken by algorithms. Around 141,000 people worked for platforms like Wolt and Bolt in the country, according to data from 2024. The number is expected to rise to 157,000 by 2028.
Many of them are migrants or students, often from non-EU countries. They have also been at the centre of political efforts to point at the (allegedly) runaway migration taking place in the country. Amid a flurry of anti-migration rhetoric, the interior minister proposed limiting the right of foreign, non-EU students to work on a self-employed basis.
But who are the people that make up the immigrant community? Probably unsurprisingly, Belarusians and Ukrainians remain the two biggest nationalities. Meanwhile, Lithuania is at risk of increasing out-migration of its own citizens due to war fears and economic pressures.
DIESEL AND YANDEX
Donald Trump’s diesel-sucking deal with Russia received a bitter response even in Lithuania that normally backs Washington’s endeavours, with Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius saying the decision of the country’s strategic partner was “shameful and dishonourable”. The foreign minister, Kęstutis Budrys, tried to play it down, saying “this latest episode is not the worst we have seen in nearly two years”.
Speaking at the Warsaw Forum earlier this week, Sinkevičius also said Ukraine should strike more data centres, wink wink.
US TROOPS, BALTIC BORDERS
And speaking of America, the first US troops arrived in the country earlier this week. Up to 100 US troops are now here as part of a returning rotation, with the rest of the 1,000-strong force expected by mid-November.
Despite the returning Americans, the Baltic borders remain on edge. Last week, there was an armed incident on Latvia’s border with Belarus; the previously unknown “Black Russian” group claimed responsibility. But the whole announcement looked sus, with experts saying the group could be a front for security services. Or, this whole “group” could be a psyop product in the first place, seeing how Europe is bracing itself for “escalation” on Baltic borders. In any case, read more here.
In other defence updates, Lithuania is investing over 33 million euros into military fuel infrastructure. And if you’re feeling lost about all the different initiatives taking place in Lithuania to prepare for a potential conflict, we've got you covered.
SHOOTING IN VILNIUS
But it was an armed incident closer to home that proved deadly, when a former policeman shot a former kickboxing champion after an altercation outside an apartment block. In related news, a man escaped from a court hearing by pushing aside a police officer and making a run for it. Predictably, he was arrested a few hours later.
EDITOR’S PICKS:
– Lithuania’s rural regions are banking on religious tourism.
– Lithuania is banking on mending ties with China “less publicly”.
– Read what an ICC judge had to say about Trump.
– Apple harvest is plentiful, but seasonal labour shortage isn’t helping.
– A new TV series, The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, will be filmed in Vilnius.
– Kaunas’ UNESCO heritage is in the crosshairs.
– A deep dive into archives about how the Lithuanian media used to portray gay people.
Written by Benas Gerdžiūnas
Edited by Justinas Šuliokas
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