#Gitanas Nauseda

[allthegeopolitics]

Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda has declared victory in the final round of the Baltic nation’s presidential election, as partial results showed him far ahead in the two-way race against Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte. Ballots from nearly 90 percent of polling stations on Sunday showed Nauseda, 60, winning roughly three-quarters of the vote, followed by Simonyte, 49, from the ruling centre-right Homeland Union party. Simonyte conceded defeat in comments to reporters and congratulated Nauseda.

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[unhonestlymirror]

[beardedmrbean]

RIGA - The Baltic presidents will this week mark the 35th anniversary of the Baltic Way, as Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics' advisor Martins Dregeris informed LETA.

On Friday, August 23 Rinkevics will meet with Estonian President Alar Karis at the Ungurini-Lilli border crossing point on the Latvia-Estonia border to mark the 35th anniversary of the Baltic Way. In the afternoon, Rinkevics and Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda will attend a ceremony dedicated to the 35th anniversary of the Baltic Way in Pasvalys, Lithuania.

Rinkevics says that 35 years ago 2 million Estonians, Latvians and Lithuanians joined hands to oppose the Soviet occupation regime. A human chain spanning more than 600 kilometers connected Tallinn, Riga and Vilnius. Standing united against injustice, oppression and violence, Lithuanians, Latvians and Estonians began their shared journey to restoring independence.

"The Baltic Way was the beginning of our return to the democratic world. The Baltic Way demonstrated that our power lies within our unity and our desire for freedom. The cohesion of the people of the three Baltic States and their deep-seated faith in freedom was an important driving force not only in the restoration of the sovereignty of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, but also the destruction of communist regimes in Europe," said Rinkevics.

For many, the Baltic Way was a deeply personal and emotional event - an experience that stays with one forever, Rinkevics pointed out. Therefore, it is crucial to maintain the memories and feelings surrounding the shared road to freedom of the Baltics and pass it on to the next generations. August 23 is a day to remind ourselves and the world about the power of national unity and determination in the fight for independence and freedom, said Rinkevics.

The presidents of Latvia and Estonia will meet at the Ungurnņi-Lilli border crossing point on the Latvia-Estonia border where a monument to the Baltic Way has been erected. The presidents will give addresses, followed by informal discussions.

In the afternoon, Rinkevics will meet with the Lithuanian president in Pasvalys, Lithuania, and a joint press conference will be held after the meeting.

The Baltic Way was the most vivid demonstration of the unity of the Baltic peoples in fighting for the restoration of the statehood of the Baltic States 35 years ago, said Dregeris. Approximately 2 million people joined hands to draw international attention to the illegal incorporation of the Baltic States into the USSR and violations of international law.

[ballata]

Waiting for ww3. Aspettando la Polonia e il corridoio di Suwalki...

Russia, minaccia alla Lituania: «I Paesi baltici dovrebbero essere nostri». Dal corridoio di Suwalki agli attacchi ibridi: cosa sta succedendo

Tensione alle stelle nel mar Baltico. Le mire della Russia sulla regione, mai troppo celate, cominciano infatti a diventare sempre più esplicite. «I Paesi baltici dovrebbero appartenere a Mosca», ha affermato il vicepresidente della commissione Difesa della Duma russa, Aleksei Zhuravlev, reagendo all'indignazione del presidente lituano, Gitanas Nauseda, per la decisione delle autorità di Kaliningrad di dare un nuovo nome al locale museo dedicato al poeta lituano Kristijonas Donelaitis.

[the-jam-to-the-unicorn]

The political husband Gitanas Nauseda is reelected! 🥳🥳🥳

[ifreakingloveroyals]

Through the Years → Felipe VI of Spain (2,830/∞) 30 June 2022 | The President of the Republic of Lithuania, Gitanas Nauseda, is received in audience by King Felipe VI, at La Zarzuela Palace, in Madrid, Spain. This meeting is part of the scheduled audiences of the monarch with international leaders on the occasion of the NATO Summit held in Madrid. The NATO 2022 Summit ends today after two sessions. The celebration coincides with the 40th anniversary of Spain's accession to the North Atlantic Treaty Organization. (Photo By Ricardo Rubio/Europa Press via Getty Images)

[mariacallous]

Hungary's Orban blocks aid for Ukraine, says he can still halt EU accession

BRUSSELS, Dec 15 (Reuters) - Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban vetoed a big European Union aid package for Kyiv on Friday, and said he could still halt Ukraine's accession after EU leaders approved the start of lengthy membership talks.

Leaders of all 27 EU states except Hungary agreed at a summit on Thursday to start accession talks with Ukraine despite Russia's invasion of its neighbour, bypassing Orban's grievances by getting him to leave the room.

But they could not overcome resistance from Orban to a revamp of the EU budget to channel 50 billion euros ($55 billion) to Ukraine and provide more cash for other tasks such as managing migration.

EU leaders said they would continue to help Kyiv. If no deal is found to do so within the EU budget, they will find workarounds, possibly with bilateral aid, they said.

The Kremlin praised the stance taken by Orban, who maintains close ties to Russia, but said the EU decision to open accession talks with Kyiv was politicised and could destabilise the bloc.

Orban, who has a history of trying to use disagreements with other EU leaders for his electoral benefit, told state radio he had blocked the aid package - part of a broader multi-year EU budget plan - to ensure Budapest gets funds from the EU budget that are frozen over concerns about the rule of law in Hungary.

"It is a great opportunity for Hungary to make it clear that it must get what it is entitled to. Not half of it, or one-fourth," he said.

The European Commission, the EU executive, restored Hungary's access to 10.2 billion euros of frozen funds on Wednesday after Budapest passed laws addressing some of the EU's concerns, but funds worth billions of euros remain frozen.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy hailed the approval of membership talks as a victory for Ukraine and Europe.

Kyiv is reliant on foreign assistance as Russia's war in Ukraine rages on, and U.S. President Joe Biden has so far been unable to get a $60 billion package for Kyiv through Congress.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said the decision to start accession talks made him "proud to be European" but was "only the first page of a very long, long process".

'BAD DECISION'?

Orban said Hungary could still block the talks at any time.

"This is a bad decision," he said. "We can halt this process later on, and if needed we will pull the brakes."

The EU leaders ended talks on the financial package in the early hours of Friday. All except Orban agreed to provide Ukraine with 50 billion euros over four years, but his veto blocked the funds because the decision requires unanimity.

"I can assure you, Ukraine will not be left without support, there are different ways to do this," Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas said, suggesting that a solution could be found by January, when an extraordinary summit would be held.

The best legal form for providing aid outside the EU budget is yet to be determined, but the European Commission could coordinate the collection of grants promised under the agreement and pass it on to Kyiv.

If the money were to be provided as loans, EU governments would probably need to provide guarantees for their part of the borrowing, a more cumbersome and costly process that might have to be repeated each year as new national budgets are passed.

Ukraine is unlikely to join the EU for many years, but the decision at the Brussels summit took it a step closer to its long-term strategic goal of anchoring itself in the West and leaving Russia's orbit.

German Chancellor Olaf Scholz played a big role in getting Orban to leave the room to clear the way for a decision, diplomats and officials said.

EU leaders reconvened on Friday to discuss other topics including the Israel-Hamas war.

[limpapa16]

Remembered to post hehe haha hoho

Live love laugh gitanas nauseda

[libertariantaoist]

News Roundup 7/7/2023 | The Libertarian Institute

Here is your daily roundup of today's news:

News Roundup 7/7/2023

by Kyle Anzalone

US News

Lawmakers on both sides of the aisle, particularly in the GOP, are pushing back against the renewal of a law authorizing a tool used by US spy agencies, in the post 9/11 era, to conduct warrantless surveillance on foreign targets and Americans with whom they may be interacting. The Institute

Russia

Ukrainian Defense Minister Oleksii Reznikov told Financial Times in an interview published Wednesday that his country serves as an ideal “testing ground” for Western weaponry. AWC

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said Wednesday that its inspectors have seen no sign of explosives at the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) in Ukraine despite claims from Kyiv that Russia had planted bombs. AWC

A group of former senior US officials has held talks with influential Russians, including Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, in an effort to lay the groundwork for negotiations to end the war in Ukraine, NBC News reported on Thursday. AWC

NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg said Wednesday that not many members of Russia’s Wagner Group followed their exiled leader to Belarus. AWC

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said Wednesday that Ukraine will receive “a lot” from NATO at the summit his country is hosting next week from July 11-12. AWC

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said Thursday that Wagner chief Yevgeny Prigozhin was now in Russia, raising questions about the deal between Moscow and the mercenary leader that ended his short-lived mutiny. AWC

The Associated Press reported Thursday that the Biden administration has decided to arm Ukraine with cluster bombs and will announce the munitions as part of a new $800 million arms package. AWC 

Ukraine’s military intelligence chief, Kyrylo Budanov, said Thursday that the threat to the Russian-controlled Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant (ZNPP) is subsiding. AWC

China

The Chinese Defense Ministry on Wednesday said the US was turning Taiwan into a “powder keg” in a warning over the Biden administration approving new arms deals for Taiwan worth $440 million. AWC

The US wants to turn India into a center for resupplying and maintenance of naval vessels in South Asia as part of its military buildup against China in the region, Nikkei Asia reported Thursday. AWC

Syria

The Pentagon released a video of a Russian fighter jet flying near an American drone above Syria. Moscow and Washington have accused each other of conducting unsafe aerial operations. The Institute

According to neoconservative columnist Josh Rogin – one of Bill Kristol’s protégés – Biden told these regime change advocates that, among other things, Assad must go. The Institute

US Central Command (CENTCOM) said in a press release on Thursday that it was involved in 37 operations against ISIS in Iraq and Syria during the month of June. AWC

Read More

[cavenewstimestoday]

Germany's Merz inaugurates a historic new brigade in Lithuania and pushes for security spending

World 1 / 3 German Chancellor Friedrich Merz talks to the media after a meeting with Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda at the Presidential palace in Vilnius, Lithuania, Thursday, May 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis) Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nauseda, right, and German Chancellor Friedrich Merz , left, talk to the media at the Presidential palace in Vilnius, Lithuania, Thursday, May…

[unhonestlymirror]

“The people of Lithuania are waiting for you”: President Gitanas Nauseda congratulated Ukrainians on the Day of Dignity and Freedom.

He published a video of his performance in English with Ukrainian subtitles on the social network X.

The caption states that the Revolution of Dignity on the Maidan took place 10 years ago: “United to defend their European choice, in their quest for justice, freedom and democracy, Ukrainians have proven to be an unstoppable force. Despite brutal war from Russia, Ukraine is increasingly moving closer to Europe. The future of Ukraine is in 🇪🇺!"

“The start of accession negotiations in December is another milestone that we all hope for. The people of Lithuania will be waiting for you. We will support you. And we will do everything to help you join the European Union and NATO. Glory to Ukraine!” said Nausėda.

[beardedmrbean]

Germany has this week deployed a permanent military brigade beyond its borders for the first time since the end of World War Two.

The historic unit dispatched to the capital of Lithuania, Vilnius, was inaugurated Thursday by German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, who said during a military ceremony in the city that “the security of our Baltic allies is also our security.”

The groundbreaking German military decision is perhaps the most significant in a steady stream of moves by European nations to bolster defenses on NATO’s eastern flank amid persistent security threats from Russia and President Donald Trump's insistence that Europe does more both to defend itself and pay for that defense.

It also comes despite persistent efforts by the Trump administration to bring to an end the Kremlin's three-year-long war in Ukraine.

Among Ukraine’s European allies, the three Baltic nations of Lithuania, Estonia and Latvia — linked to NATO’s main territory only by a narrow corridor that stretches between Russia and staunch ally Belarus known as the Suwalki Gap — are perhaps the most vulnerable to an expanded Russian assault.

On Thursday, Merz said that “Russia’s aggressive revisionism” since its invasion of Ukraine in 2022 meant it could seek to redraw the broader map of Europe and not just that of Ukraine.

Standing alongside Merz, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda added that Russia and Belarus had already begun conducting military exercises on his country’s border.

The new German brigade on NATO’s eastern flank will comprise a heavy combat unit of some 4,800 soldiers, hundreds of civilian staff, and 2,000 vehicles, including tanks. It will be headquartered in Rudninkai near Vilnius and is expected to be fully operational by the end of 2027.

“Anyone who threatens an ally must know that the entire alliance will jointly defend every inch of NATO territory,” Merz said.

Trump has been putting pressure on America's NATO allies to increase military spending, previously accusing Germany and other European countries of “freeloading” at Washington’s expense and even going as far as implementing a temporary pause on military aid to Ukraine in March this year.

It also marks a shift away from America's guarantee of European security against Russia that has been in place since World War II which has yielded U.S. hard and soft power throughout the continent and beyond.

After his center-right Christian Democratic Union party won the German election in February, Merz said his “absolute priority” was “strengthening Europe as quickly as possible so that, step by step, we can really achieve independence from the U.S.”

In line with Germany, other European frontline countries have begun upping spending in order to fortify their borders against Russia and Belarus. Earlier this month, Lithuania announced it would spend around $1.2 billion on military spending, raising it to 6% of its annual GDP.

Neighboring Poland, meanwhile, recently allocated an additional $2.6 billion to the sector, raising it to 4.7% of its GDP this year.

Despite American diplomats holding several rounds of bilateral negotiations with diplomats from Russia and Ukraine — Trump held an as-yet-fruitless phone conversation Monday with Russian President Vladimir Putin — the U.S. president has expressed frustration with his Russian counterpart continuing to launch missile and drone attacks on Ukrainian civilians while negotiations to end the fighting are ongoing.

Meanwhile, Putin said in a video conference with Russian government officials Thursday his military had begun creating a “security buffer zone” along its border with Ukraine, a day after he visited the western Russian region of Kursk that Russia says its forces reclaimed from Ukraine earlier this month.

Putin's latest move comes after Russian negotiators reportedly threatened during direct negotiations last week to seize the Ukrainian cities of Kharkiv and Sumy if Ukraine did not agree to the Kremlin’s demands that essentially amount to a surrender from Kyiv.

Washington-based think tank, the Institute for the Study of War, this week described the threat as a warning sign from Russia in a report.

“This tactic suggests that Russia will make additional, more extreme territorial demands during war termination talks should Ukraine agree to Russia’s ceasefire preconditions,” it stated.

[socportal]

Lithuanian president says why Crimea should not be recognised as Russian territory

Lithuanian president says why Crimea should not be recognised as Russian territory Lithuania supports Ukraine's position on ending the war.Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda has warned that the legal recognition of Crimea as part of Russia would be a "time bomb". This was reported by Lithuanian broadcaster LRT. via en.socportal.info

[the-jam-to-the-unicorn]

This is a random post. But I was looking for something else, and fell down a rabbit hole. And I think I know now why Gitanas Nauseda and Ze are such good friends.

Gitanas Nauseda, married to Diana Nausediene for 34 years and still crushing on his wife. Note the parallels with Ze and Olena.

We stan a political husband who’s also still crazy about his First Lady.

We indeed stan!

They're also so cute! 🥰

Haha, yes, they probably exchange ideas on how to make the wives happy. Olena and Diana update each other about what the husbands do. 😄

I can actually see them being also friends in private. Nauseda is super invested in helping Ukraine and in fire for them and seems to be a good human being and politician (feel free to correct me, everyone, if I am wrong).

[mentalnahigijena]

Članak 5. NATO ?

Užas jer su četiri američka vojnika "pronađena mrtva" nakon što su nestali tokom vježbe u Litvaniji

Četiri vojnika američke vojske navodno su pronađena mrtva dan nakon što je prijavljen nestanak tokom vježbe u Litvaniji.

Četiri vojnika, koje vlasti nisu identifikovale, bila su u sastavu 1. brigade, 3. pešadijske divizije.

Prvi izvještaji pokazuju da su vojnici možda putovali u spasilačkom vozilu M88, jednom od najvećih oklopnih vozila koje koristi američka vojska, koje je možda palo u vodu.

Nestanak vojnika prijavljen je u utorak oko 16:45 nakon vježbe u blizini Pabradea u Litvaniji, što je izazvalo široku potragu koju su sprovele američka vojska i litvanske vlasti.

Vojnici su navodno izvodili rutinsku taktičku obuku na poligonu General Silvestras Žukauskas u Pabradė, koji je manje od šest milja od granice sa Belorusijom .

Oružane snage Litvanije saopćile su u srijedu da su identificirale "moguću lokaciju" nestalih vojnika i njihovog vozila.

Vojska je u saopćenju navela da je 'u toku operacija potrage i spašavanja koju predvode litvanske oružane snage, uz dodatne sposobnosti Odjela za zaštitu i spašavanje od požara i drugih institucija.'

Zvaničnici nisu ponudili nikakve detalje o tome kako su vojnici ili njihovo vozilo nestali, niti način na koji su prijavljeni.

Američka vojska je izvodila zajedničke vježbe s litvanskim snagama usred rastućih tenzija između baltičkih zemalja i Rusije.

Litvanija, zajedno sa susjedima Letonijom i Estonijom, često ima napete veze s Rusijom od proglašenja nezavisnosti od Sovjetskog Saveza 1990. Sve su članice NATO-a.

Odnosi u regionu pogoršali su se nakon ruske invazije na Ukrajinu 2022. godine, a litvanski predsjednik Gitanas Nauseda bio je jedan od najglasnijih evropskih lidera koji podržavaju Ukrajinu u njenoj borbi protiv snaga ruskog predsjednika Vladimira Putina.

U saopćenju za javnost objavljenom prije nego što su vojnici navodno pronađeni, general-potpukovnik Charles Costanza je rekao da bi 'želio lično da zahvali litvanskim oružanim snagama i onima koji su prvi odgovorili koji su nam brzo pritekli u pomoć u našim operacijama potrage.'

'Upravo ovakva vrsta timskog rada i podrške oslikava važnost našeg partnerstva i naše humanosti bez obzira koje zastave nosimo na ramenima', dodao je Costanza.

Potraga je uključivala raspoređivanje helikoptera Vazduhoplovstva i Državne granične službe.

Američka vojska nije komentarisala smrt vojnika, a ranije je rekla da su vojnici bili na "zakazanoj taktičkoj obuci u vrijeme incidenta".

Ovo je priča u razvoju i biće ažurirana kako informacije budu potvrđene.

[cyberbenb]

Lithuania ready to deploy troops as part of post-ceasefire mission to Ukraine, Nauseda says

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda announced that the Baltic nation is ready to send its troops to the post-ceasefire mission in Ukraine, Bloomberg Television reported on March 21.

The proposal for an international peacekeeping force has gained traction recently, as European nations prepare to take a more prominent role in Ukraine’s defense amid the unpredictability of further American support.

“My country is ready to provide the necessary support,” Nauseda told Bloomberg Television.

“We are talking about very concrete numbers of our troops, but there should be a commitment from all countries in this coalition to provide this support,” Nauseda added.

European leaders are planning to meet next week in Paris to discuss further support for Ukraine as Europe becomes increasingly concerned it will be excluded from any negotiations involving the Kremlin and the U.S. on ending the war.

The Lithuanian president praised Donald Trump’s “frank intentions” on ending the war in Ukraine but noted that Russia has only imitated the commitment to achieve peace during the negotiations

“So far, Russia is imitating the negotiations, talking about a possible peace and possible ceasefire, but they are not even ready to keep the ceasefire as promised not to attack, not to strike critical infrastructure,” Nauseda said.

Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, Lithuania has been one of Ukraine’s most vocal backers.

The Baltic state ranks among Europe’s top defense spenders, allocating 2.85% of GDP to defense in 2024, according to NATO estimates. Vilnius plans to increase that figure to between 5% and 6% from 2026 to 2030.

Success of peacekeeping forces in Ukraine hinges on deterrence

We are at a critical moment for Europe, with continental security hanging in the balance. In late February, the United Kingdom announced plans to increase defense spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027. U.K. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer also recently suggested he is prepared to send British

The Kyiv IndependentJames Rogers