Lithuania

Latvia

Estonia

Russia

Energy

Military & Security

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will cut their last major energy link to Russia on Feb. 8, transitioning from the Moscow-controlled Soviet-era BRELL grid to the Continental Europe Synchronous Area on Feb. 9, Politico reported on Feb. 6. 

Baltic States: Exit From Russia-Controlled Grid To Heighten Hybrid Threat Risks

China

Germany

Finland

Sweden

Environment, Science & Technology

Science & Technology

The operations of two subsea cables running across the Baltic Sea -- the C-Lion1 subsea cable connecting Finland and Germany and the nearby BCS East-West Interlink cable linking Lithuania to the Swedish island of Gotland -- were disrupted apparently due to physical damage, Reuters reported on Nov. 18.

Europe: Two Baltic Subsea Cables Ruptured in Suspected Sabotage

Politics

Lithuania's Social Democratic Party, or SD, won the most votes in the two rounds of parliamentary elections held on Oct. 13 and Oct. 27, gaining control of 52 seats in the 141-seat parliament, Reuters reported on Oct. 27, citing official results from the run-off vote.

Lithuania: Center-Left Opposition Social Democratic Party Wins Parliamentary Elections

France

Romania

Spain

Italy

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen unveiled her team of Commissioners, a press release by the Commission shows Sept. 17. 

EU: Von der Leyen Unveils New European Commission

Luxembourg

Malta

Czech Republic

Denmark

Greece

Belgium

Bulgaria

Portugal

Poland

Croatia

Cyprus

Austria

Slovakia

Slovenia

Netherlands

Ireland

Hungary

The European Commission recommended reducing the European Union's net greenhouse gas emissions by 90% by 2040 compared with 1990 levels, Reuters reported Feb. 6. 

EU: Brussels to Exclude Agriculture from 90% Emissions Reduction Target for 2040

Ukraine

Russia-Ukraine Conflict

European Union member states unanimously agreed to a 50 billion euro ($54 billion) financial support package for Ukraine as part of their joint budget through 2027, for which Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban lifted his veto on the initiative, Reuters reported Feb. 1.

EU, Ukraine: EU Leaders Unanimously Agree to New 50 Billion Euro Aid Package for Kyiv

Negotiators from EU member states and the European Parliament reached a preliminary agreement to overhaul the bloc's asylum and migration rules, Reuters reported on Dec. 20.

EU: Bloc's Institutions Reach Agreements on New Asylum and Migration Rules

The European Union is "unlikely" or "very unlikely" to meet most of its 2030 green objectives, according to the latest report by the European Environment Agency (EEA) published Dec. 18.

EU: Bloc to Miss Most of its 2030 Climate Goals

Snapshots

United States

United Kingdom

Members of the European Parliament take part in voting on the Artificial Intelligence Act during a plenary session at the European Parliament.

Cyber

The EU's recently negotiated Artificial Intelligence Act will bolster the European Union's dominance as a regulatory heavyweight in emerging technologies, yet anticipated enforcement challenges and stringent stipulations with the Act risk impeding AI innovation within the bloc.

EU Lawmakers Clinch Agreement on Artificial Intelligence Act 

Europe

Rail cars loaded with steel sit at the ThyssenKrupp Schwelgern steel plant on May 30, 2018 in Duisburg, Germany. 

Economics

The European Union and the United States will increase efforts to deconflict their trade and climate policies ahead of the upcoming U.S. presidential and EU parliamentary elections, but lingering disagreements will not allow for a complete respite of Trump-era tariffs on EU steel and aluminum.

EU-U.S. Steel and Aluminum Negotiations Make Limited Headway

Belarus

A woman sits by the entrance to the GUM department store in central Minsk on February 14, 2023.

Though Belarus is showing economic recovery in the short term, a number of structural issues will undermine its long-term growth prospects.

Belarus' Tentative Recovery Won’t Ensure Future Growth -– Or Kick-Start the Opposition

Assessments

Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte (center) speaks to journalists in Vilnius on May 23, 2021, about the Ryanair passenger plane that was hijacked and diverted to Minsk, Belarus.

Security

The Fight for Russia’s Borderlands

Any Western response to the plane hijacking incident is unlikely to stop Lukashenko from continuing his crackdown on dissent. 

What to Make of Belarus’s Brazen Arrest of a Journalist 

A satellite image shows Europe at night.

EU: Regional Blocs

The New Silk Road

Divided EU Foreign Policies

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

The move shows the White House remains committed to its security and economic engagements in the region, with an eye on countering China and Russia. 

The U.S. Ramps Up Financial Support to Central and Eastern Europe

The Russian 9M729 intermediate-range cruise missile was developed in secret had been deployed in small numbers even before the IMF Treaty became defunct.

Echoes of the Cold War

Moscow would couple any new deployments of its intermediate-range missiles with rhetoric blaming the United States for the treaty's collapse and subsequent weapons buildups.

Russia Approaches a Post-INF Arms Race in Europe With Caution

Global Perspectives

Partner Perspectives

A post marks the beginning of Polish territory on its border with Lithuania.

The U.S. and its NATO allies are looking for new ways to deter Russian aggression against the Baltic states. But policymakers and defense planners have yet to agree on Moscow's intentions in the region.

Threading the Needle Through the Suwalki Gap

Columns

On Geopolitics

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (center) and representatives of the Three Seas Initiative take part in a summit on Sept. 18 in Romania.

In many ways, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have never had it so good economically and politically. But brewing problems to the east and west have given them cause for disquiet. 

The Baltic Nations Look Abroad and See Problems

North Korea

South Korea

Contributor Perspectives

Despite statements by U.S. government officials casting doubt on the participation of the U.S. Olympic team, the decision is in the hands of the country's Olympic committee.

With Russia out of the competition in Pyeongchang, it seems incomprehensible that the U.S. team will stay home. And two recent developments show how the world of elite sport continues to revolve around the United States.

Play-by-Play: Looking Ahead and Looking Back

Many migrant workers in Eastern Europe have left their homes to eke out a living in countries that promise better chances of employment. 

Many migrant workers in Eastern Europe have left their homes to eke out a living in countries that promise better chances of employment. But rarely do they find the land of opportunity they expected. 

In Lithuania, Ukrainians Find Disappointment Instead of Dream Jobs 

A Russian-built BTR-82A amphibious armored personnel carrier lands on the shore during 2013 joint military exercises with Belarus in the Russia's Kaliningrad enclave.

In an interview with Stratfor contributor Linas Jegelevicius, Lithuania's defense minister warns that the approaching Zapad military exercises may not be as innocuous as they seem. 

The Baltics Eye Russia's War Games With Growing Concern

Reflections

Montenegro

Georgia

With visits to Estonia, Georgia and Montenegro, the tour by U.S. Vice President Mike Pence is meant to reassure nervous allies on the front lines of the Russia-West standoff.

On his visit to Europe's borderlands, U.S. Vice President Mike Pence reassured allies that Washington supports them against Moscow.

The U.S. Offers Cool Comfort as Tension With Russia Heats Up

Lithuania is a country in northeastern Europe. Located by the Baltic Sea, it shares land borders with Latvia, Belarus, Poland and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Lithuania’s political and economic capital is Vilnius, but the city of Klaipeda, which is home to the main ice-free port on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea, is also of strategic importance to the country.     Lithuania is mostly flat, with several short rivers and multiple lakes. Its main river is the Neman, which begins in Belarus and flows through Lithuania before reaching the Baltic Sea. A third of Lithuania’s territory consists of woodlands, while the fertile lands in the country’s center represent the core of Lithuania’s agricultural sector.     Lithuania rose to prominence in the 14th century as the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which extended over parts of modern-day Belarus, Ukraine, Poland and Russia. In the late 16th century, Lithuania and Poland formed the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, becoming a major European power. But despite its occasional might, Lithuania has often faced threats from its powerful neighbors, which over the centuries have included Germany, Austria, Russia and Sweden. By the late 19th century, imperial Russia had absorbed most of Lithuania’s territory. While Lithuania briefly obtained independence in 1918, the Soviet Union annexed the country after World War II. Lithuania was a Soviet republic until 1990, when it became independent once more. Since then, Lithuania has joined NATO, the European Union, the Schengen agreement and the eurozone.    Lithuania’s main geopolitical concern in Russia. The country’s fear of potential Russian aggression increased after Moscow’s military intervention in Ukraine in 2014. In recent years, the country has increased its military expenditures and sought to reduce its dependence on Russian energy. In 2014, for example, it opened an LNG terminal in Klaipeda. Despite Vilnius' fears, Russia remains Lithuania’s main trade partner. Lithuania’s main geopolitical challenge is thus to cooperate with its neighbors in the Baltic region, the broader European Union and NATO to secure political, economic and military protection against potential foreign aggression.

SITUATION REPORTS

Baltic States: Exit From Russia-Controlled Grid To Heighten Hybrid Threat Risks

Europe: Two Baltic Subsea Cables Ruptured in Suspected Sabotage

Lithuania: Center-Left Opposition Social Democratic Party Wins Parliamentary Elections

EU: Von der Leyen Unveils New European Commission

EU: Brussels to Exclude Agriculture from 90% Emissions Reduction Target for 2040

EU, Ukraine: EU Leaders Unanimously Agree to New 50 Billion Euro Aid Package for Kyiv

EU: Bloc's Institutions Reach Agreements on New Asylum and Migration Rules

EU: Bloc to Miss Most of its 2030 Climate Goals

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