Baltic States
Protests intensify against Lithuanian culture minister exposed in viral sauna video
Lithuania’s cultural community has vowed to press ahead with protests over the government’s decision to hand the culture ministry to the radical right Nemunas Dawn party.
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EU presses ahead with December signing of divisive Mercosur deal
The European Commission is gearing up to sign its contentious trade agreement with South American bloc Mercosur on December 5 in Brazil, possibly sealing the fate of an accord that has languished in negotiations for more than a quarter-century.
European diplomats warn Kremlin that Nato is prepared to shoot planes over its airspace
European diplomats warned the Kremlin that Nato is prepared to shoot down any Russian fighter jets that violate their airspace, as military tensions between the EU and Russia continue to mount.
Lithuanian government confirmed despite outrage over minister’s half-naked dance video
Protests erupt after viral video shows incoming Culture Minister Ignotas Adomavicius dancing lewdly in a hot tub.
Poland building a drone wall to protect Europe
Poland will lead an effort to build a “drone wall” to block Europe’s airspace to swarms of Russian UAVs should a pan-regional war ever break out.
COMMENT: Trump is preparing a “back door” plan to blame EU for Ukraine’s failure - FT
European officials fear that US President Donald Trump’s dramatic U-turn on Ukraine is a back door plan to shift responsibility for the West’s failure to prevent Ukraine’s defeat in its war with Russia or help it recover afterwards.
EBRD says geopolitics, tariffs and China competition weigh on Emerging Europe growth
Development bank downgrades 2025 forecasts for Central and Eastern Europe citing weak external demand, rising debt and the impact of US tariffs.
EU launches red-tape cutting reforms seeking to make Europe competitive again
Brussels will start cutting red tape with the so-called omnibus legislation this autumn as it sets out to make Europe competitive again, Politico reported on September 17.
EU finance ministers discuss Ukraine's Reparations Loan but no decision yet
EU finance ministers met in Copenhagen on September 20 to discuss tapping the cash pile of frozen Central Bank of Russia (CBR) money and using it to make a large Reparation Loans to Ukraine, but no final decision has been reached.
Estonia’s foreign minister summons Russia’s chargé d’affaires over 12-minute incursion in Estonia’s airspace
Estonia's Ministry of Foreign Affairs on September 19 summoned the chargé d’affaires of the Russian Federation in Estonia to lodge a protest for an "unprecedentedly brazen" violation of Estonia’s airspace after three MiGs entered its airspace.
EU passes nineteenth sanctions package, accelerates LNG phase out
The European Commission has published proposals for a 19th sanctions package against Russia that would tighten curbs on energy trade and payments, with new measures aimed at oil refineries, oil traders and petrochemical companies in third countries.
Europe’s summer heatwaves killed more than 16,000 people
The heatwaves that swept the Continent were responsible for more than two-thirds of the 24,400 heat-related deaths estimated in Europe this summer, or 16,266 people, according to a new study conducted by scientists at Imperial College London.
The European Commission proposes to “creatively” tap Russia’s $300bn of frozen assets with Reparation Loans
The European Commission is floating a new idea of how to “creatively” tap Russia’s $300bn of frozen assets without the need to appropriate, which is legally questionable, by replacing the money transferred to Kyiv with EU-backed bonds.
Rail Baltica signs €1.77bn electrification contract in Vilnius
Deal moves forward one of the largest infrastructure agreements in the region’s history, that has faced multiple delays and rising costs.
Ukraine hits multiple Russian oil refineries, Trump calls for more EU oil sanctions
Ukraine is expanding its campaign of trying to cut the Kremlin off from its oil export income with a campaign of targeting Russia’s oil refining and pipeline assets, using its new long-range drones and missiles.
COMMENT: Europe’s summer of humiliation
This summer started with optimism around trade deals and progress in Ukraine, but quickly unravelled. Trade uncertainty is back, the war drags on with rising casualties, and Europe is now grappling with a raft of political crises.
Two thirds of Germans fear a Russian invasion fuelling far-right election gains in western heartland
Public anxiety over a potential Russian attack on Nato territory has surged in Germany following the recent drone incursion on September 10 into Polish airspace that coincided with sharp gains by the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD).
Von der Leyen pledges unwavering support for Ukraine, unveils competitiveness reforms in EC state of the Union speech
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen used her annual EU State of the Union address on September 10 to reaffirm the bloc’s commitment to Ukraine, signal a tougher stance on Israeli settler violence, and outline reform
India, China, Europe, all face population declines by the end of the century – OWID
This chart tracks the UN’s latest demographic projections for four large populations: India, China, Europe, and the United States. Together, they account for about half of today’s world population, Our World in Data (OWID) reports.
Washington signals end to military aid for Russia’s neighbours, Baltics to feel brunt
Word of planned move comes in same week Donald Trump committed to keeping US forces in Poland.