About: Linas Linkevicius
Baltic states ban Lukashenko amid crackdown on opposition
The Baltic states on Monday (31 August) banned embattled Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko as he cracked down further on the opposition movement following another huge rally at the weekend.
Belarusian opposition leader Tikhanovskaya taken to Lithuania
Belarusian opposition politician Svetlana Tikhanovskaya has travelled to Lithuania from Belarus amid the protests and is safe, Lithuania’s Foreign Minister Linas Linkevicius said in a Twitter post on Tuesday (11 August). Tikhanovskaya emerged as Alexander Lukashenko’s main rival at Sunday’s...
Germany pronounces INF missile treaty dead
Germany said Friday that Russia had "de facto invalidated" a landmark Cold War missile reduction treaty which the US is poised to abandon, with Europe anxious at the prospect of a new arms race.
Baltic ministers prepare US summit for ‘sending message to Putin’
Foreign ministers from the Baltic states, three exposed allies on NATO's eastern flank, visited Washington on Monday (5 March) to urge Western leaders not to respond naively to Russian threats.
Keep EU sanctions on Russia, says Lithuania’s foreign minister
EU sanctions on Russia over the conflict in Ukraine should stay in place as long the situation on the ground does not improve, Lithuania's foreign minister said on Monday (29 August), dismissing calls from EU's rotating president Slovakia for them to be lifted.
Lithuania seeks to preserve UK ties against Russia
Lithuania, which looked to Britain to help toughen the EU line on Russia, said yesterday (27 June) it wanted the European Union to preserve all that it could of its ties with London after the Brexit vote.
EU and Ukraine celebrate the release of Nadia Savchenko
Ukrainian military pilot Nadia Savchenko arrived home in Kyiv today (25 May) after nearly two years in a Russian jail, part of a prisoner swap in which two Russians held in Ukraine were returned to Moscow.
For Ukraine, EU sanctions on Russia hang in the balance
Ukraine needs the West more than the West needs Ukraine, and the government is in no position to pressure the European Union. Writes Stratfor, the Global Intelligence company.
Ukraine parliament passes major law, paving the way to visa-free travel
Ukraine's parliament today (15 March) approved a vital anti-corruption bill that Kyiv hopes will pave the way for visa-free travel to EU countries this year.
Linkevicius: Dealing with Russia is like playing football against a rugby team
Calls for returning to “normal dialogue” and re-establishing “pragmatic” relations with Russia only show that some in the EU have not learned the lessons of the recent past, writes Linas Linkevi?ius.
Greece told it could be kicked out of Schengen
Greece hit back yesterday (2 December) at threats from some EU states to suspend it from the Schengen zone of open border travel because of its failure to prevent large numbers of refugees from entering Europe.
Juncker opens the door to EU-Eurasian Union rapprochement
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker wrote to Russian President Vladimir Putin this week, suggesting closer trade ties between the EU and the Russian-led Eurasian Union once a ceasefire is implemented in Ukraine.
Lithuanian FM: EU should put more pressure on Russia
Since the Paris attacks last Friday (13 November), the military activity of Russian-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine has increased, Linas Linkevi?ius, Foreign Minister of Lithuania, told EURACTIV in an exclusive interview.
Russia tells EU to abandon ‘messianic’ project of exporting democracy
A prominent Russian diplomat has called on the EU to abandon his “messianic” project of exporting democracy and instead solve its problems together with Russia, and not at its expense.
Putin declares soldier deaths a state secret
Russian casualties in “special operations” can be classified as military secrets, even in peacetime, Russian President Vladimir Putin decreed yesterday (28 May).
European war games: Responses to Russian military drills
The Nordic and Baltic states are working to boost security cooperation in response to Russia's military activity in the region and the security buildup on both sides is expected to continue, writes Stratfor.
Putin is ‘real danger’ to Baltics, EU officials warn
Senior Western officials accused Russia yesterday (19 February) of redrawing the map of Europe by force and posing a threat to the Baltic states.