Free Republic

NATO needs a more “visible” presence in the Baltics to counter the threat Russia poses from Belarus, Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda warned on Friday. Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has prompted a discussion within the transatlantic military alliance about how to best defend its eastern members, with leaders gathering in Madrid next week set to sign off on new plans. Speaking ahead of the summit, Nausėda told POLITICO that “very huge fundamental changes” in neighboring Belarus make Lithuania more vulnerable to a quick Russian attack — and necessitate a shift in the region’s security arrangements. The Lithuanian leader said he would...

Lithuania will no longer import Russian gas to meet its domestic needs, becoming the first country in Europe to have secured its independence from Russian supplies, the country's energy ministry said on Saturday. All natural gas for Lithuanian domestic consumption will be imported via the liquified natural gas (LNG) import terminal in the port of Klaipeda, the ministry said in a statement. "From this month on - no more Russian gas in Lithuania," Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda tweeted on Saturday, saying the country is breaking "energy ties with the aggressor".