Von der Leyen to make an emergency visit to Lithuania due to hybrid threats from Russia
On Tuesday, May 26, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will visit Vilnius to demonstrate the EU’s solidarity with the Baltic states and coordinate a joint response to serious threats to regional security.
This was announced by European Commission Chief Spokesperson Paula Pignot, according to “European Truth.”
A joint meeting with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs, and Estonian President Alar Karis is scheduled as part of the visit. European Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius will accompany the European Commission President to Lithuania.
According to the spokesperson, the trip comes at a critical moment, as Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are facing continuous hybrid attacks, a series of unauthorized incursions by unidentified drones into their airspace, as well as an intense Russian disinformation campaign. These incidents have already forced the Baltic states to repeatedly activate emergency protocols, impose flight restrictions, declare alerts, close government institutions, and report disruptions to critical infrastructure. In particular, last week a NATO fighter jet shot down a foreign drone in Estonian airspace.
The main objectives of Ursula von der Leyen’s talks with Baltic leaders are:
Official confirmation of the European Union’s unwavering support and an assessment of the resilience of Baltic societies in the face of provocations.
Discussion of specific EU steps to financially and strategically strengthen the region’s defense and air defense capabilities.
Ensuring close and rapid coordination of actions to counter hybrid aggression on NATO and the EU’s eastern flank.
Lithuania will also receive over a hundred air defense missiles from the U.S. following the State Department’s approval of the relevant agreement.
Lithuania notedthe impact of the reduction in the excise tax on diesel fuel.
The Lithuanian Prime Minister outlined a condition for dialogue with Belarus.
Von der Leyen to make an emergency visit to Lithuania due to hybrid threats in the Baltics
On Tuesday, May 26, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will visit Vilnius to demonstrate the EU’s solidarity with the Baltic states and coordinate a joint response to serious threats to regional security. A joint meeting with Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda, Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs, and Estonian President Alar Karis is scheduled as part of the visit. European Commissioner for Defense Andrius Kubilius will accompany the European Commission President to Lithuania. This was announced by European Commission Chief Spokesperson Paula Pigno, according to a correspondent for “European Truth” in Brussels.
According to the spokesperson, the trip comes at a critical moment, as Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are facing continuous hybrid attacks, a series of unauthorized incursions by unidentified drones into their airspace, as well as an intense Russian disinformation campaign. These incidents have already forced the Baltic states to repeatedly activate emergency protocols, impose flight restrictions, declare alerts, close government institutions, and record disruptions to critical infrastructure. In particular, last week a NATO fighter jet shot down a foreign drone in Estonian airspace.
The main objectives of Ursula von der Leyen’s talks with Baltic leaders are:
Official confirmation of the European Union’s unwavering support and an assessment of the resilience of Baltic societies in the face of provocations.
Discussion of specific EU steps to financially and strategically strengthen the region’s defense and air defense capabilities.
Ensuring close and rapid coordination of actions to counter hybrid aggression on NATO and the EU’s eastern flank.
