Lithuania Suspends State of Emergency for Vote
The state of emergency in Lithuania—issued two months ago after the Russia invasion in Ukraine began— will be temporarily suspended today.
Today’s decision comes as the Lithuanian parliament prepares to vote on constitutional amendments to legitimize direct mayoral elections. The state of emergency—which is expected to be re-instated after the voting takes place—has halted most political activity in the Baltic NATO-state. During the state of emergency, the government holds complete control over the country’s domestic affairs.
The Russian threat at the Lithuania-Belarus border and on its border with Kaliningrad remain the top priority for Vilnius. Therefore, expect the Lithuanian government to increase the number of its defensive troops alongs its border with Belarus and possibly Kaliningrad oblast during the short- to medium term. This will be a check against the aggressive policies of Minsk and Moscow. In addition to maintaining its strategy of deterrence, Vilnius will continue to train Ukranian military personnel and send volunteers to fight alongside Zelensky’s government. On top of conventional military measures, Vilnius will continue its anti-Russian war propaganda campaign, and may also crackdown heavily against groups that show support towards the Russian and Belarusian governments by imprisoning sympathizers and tearing down symbolic signs or posters.
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