The Lithuanian Seimas rejected a ban on Russians and Belarusians voting in local elections
The Lithuanian Seimas did not support the opposition’s proposal to amend the Constitution, which would have prohibited Russian and Belarusian citizens permanently residing in the country from participating in municipal elections.
According to LRT, during the vote, 28 deputies voted “for,” 28 voted “against,” and 14 abstained, so the initiative did not receive the necessary support.
One of the authors of the amendment, MP Dalia Asanavičiūtė-Gružauskienė, explained that the proposal was initiated against the backdrop of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine and concerns about possible interference by foreign states in democratic processes.
According to her, threat assessments by Lithuanian intelligence agencies point to risks of the diaspora being used to influence elections.
During the 2023 municipal elections, approximately 21,600 foreigners with permanent residence in Lithuania were eligible to vote. Of these, nearly 17,000 were citizens of non-EU countries, including over 8,800 Russians and over 3,000 Belarusians.
As of January 2026, the number of such residents had risen to over 24,500, of whom about 19,000 were from non-EU countries. The number of Russian citizens decreased to 8,400, while the number of Belarusian citizens rose to approximately 4,000.
Lithuania explained why the war in Ukraine is draining Russia’s resources.
Lithuania has purchased protective equipment against chemical and nuclear threats worth over €300,000.
