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Lithuania
Robertas Kaunas said Russia is considering limited provocations against NATO to intimidate allies and weaken their resolve. Lithuania's defence minister said Moscow is relying more on hybrid tools than on a full-scale assault, and that Lithuania is coordinating its response with NATO partners. Chief of Defence Raimundas Vaikšnoras separately said there is no visible conventional attack threat to Lithuania right now.
Vilnius plans to finish the most visible street and public-space repairs before Lithuania starts its EU Council presidency in 2027. Priority sites include Gedimino Avenue, Švitrigailos, Pamėnkalnio and Pylimo streets, plus areas around parliament and Cathedral Square. Some of the work is being tied to wider surface and underground utility upgrades around state institutions. Lithuania is also preparing the joint presidency programme with Ireland and Greece, with EU competitiveness, criminal law and historical memory among the main policy files.
Lithuanian telecom operators blocked 2.78 million fraudulent calls in a quarter by filtering spoofed numbers initiated from abroad. The Communications Regulatory Authority said operators use number traits, call frequency and other technical criteria to stop part of the mass scam traffic before it reaches networks. The regulator had already said earlier this year that 13.8 million such calls and 2.12 million scam text messages were blocked in the first quarter alone. As fraudsters shift into SMS and short callback traps, pressure is growing on operators to widen filtering beyond voice calls.
sources: lrytas.lt, delfi.lt, vz.lt, tv3.lt, lrt.lt, 15min.lt
This is the rotating six-month role under which one EU member state chairs Council meetings and coordinates member states' work. The presiding country sets agendas, leads negotiations and represents the Council in dealings with other EU institutions.
Lithuania's defence minister Robertas Kaunas said Russia is weighing limited provocations against NATO to intimidate allies and weaken their resolve. He linked that assessment to intelligence showing Moscow is leaning more on hybrid tools than on a full-scale assault. Kaunas said Lithuania is calibrating its response with NATO partners and backing it with continuous intelligence reviews. Chief of Defence Raimundas Vaikšnoras separately said there is no visible conventional attack threat to Lithuania right now.
Why it matters
Border states and NATO air defence, intelligence and counter-sabotage units now have to plan for limited provocations as well as open conflict, because those moves can be deniable and fast-moving. The pressure falls on Lithuanian planners and allied forces that must sustain deterrence without triggering escalation.
Who benefits
NATO's eastern-flank militaries and intelligence services gain, while the Kremlin and its disinformation channels lose as their moves face tighter monitoring and coordinated pushback.
What's next
Lithuanian intelligence and NATO command will keep assessing whether Russia stays at the level of limited provocations or turns to concrete incidents near the alliance border.
Lithuanian telecom operators blocked 2.78 million fraudulent calls in a quarter, using filters set up with the Communications Regulatory Authority to catch spoofed numbers from abroad. The blocking relies on technical signals such as call patterns, number ranges and suspicious bursts of traffic. The regulator said earlier this year that 13.8 million such calls and 2.12 million scam SMS messages were blocked in the first quarter alone. As voice scams get squeezed, fraudsters are shifting more of their activity into SMS and short callback traps.
Why it matters
Households gain because fewer scam calls reach their phones, while fraud networks and the intermediaries that carry spoofed traffic lose. Cutting the call volume also reduces the odds that a target will hand over login details or wire money.
Vilnius is preparing for Lithuania’s EU Council presidency, due to start on Jan. 1, 2027, with a push to clean up the city centre and key public spaces by then. Earlier city plans put streets such as Gedimino Avenue, Švitrigailos, Pamėnkalnio and Pylimo among the priorities, along with areas around parliament and Cathedral Square. Some of that work is being coordinated with broader upgrades around state institutions, including surface works and underground utilities. The aim is to have the most visible repairs finished before the first major delegations arrive.
Why it matters
City-centre residents, drivers and bus passengers will feel the disruption first, because the works usually mean lane closures and slower trips. Hotels, restaurants and conference services stand to gain from the wave of officials and events that comes with the presidency.
Lithuania will hold the rotating presidency of the EU Council in the first half of 2027 and is preparing the joint programme with Ireland and Greece. President Gitanas Nausėda told EU ambassadors on June 9 that boosting EU competitiveness will be one of the key priorities for the coming period. The justice ministry has also flagged criminal law and historical memory as major files for the presidency. Parliament is preparing its own premises for the diplomatic workload and plans renovations to receive European leaders.
Why it matters
The presidency will force ministries, parliament and diplomats to align on logistics, legislation and negotiating priorities over the coming months. It will shape how much leverage Lithuania can bring to EU decisions on competitiveness, enlargement and security.
Education minister Raminta Popovienė again defended her handling of the exam pass threshold and said the criticism does not bother her. She also addressed summer cases of teen violence, including the Marijampolė incident that spilled into public view, saying schools alone cannot control such episodes. Popovienė said violence is already banned in schools and that police and child protection services must also step in once incidents move beyond the classroom. Her comments come after months of backlash over the exam crisis and her decision to add 10 points to graduates' results.
Why it matters
For schools and parents, the message is that responsibility is shared once violence spills beyond the school gate. For graduates and their families, the exam-threshold dispute still matters because it affected university admissions and the value of their results.
Saulius Skvernelis has spoken publicly about his former aide Agnė Silickienė, who is drawn into the State Plant Service corruption probe, and about the political fallout from the accusations against him. Prosecutors have accused him of taking at least 51,000 euros in bribes, and investigators say the money may have been channelled through Silickienė. On July 10, Skvernelis was put under intensive supervision with an electronic ankle monitor, after investigators linked his contact with Silickienė to the case. His remarks also keep the relationship with President Gitanas Nausėda in the spotlight as one of the most sensitive angles in the affair.
Why it matters
The case hits the reputation of the Democrats for Lithuania and Skvernelis’ weight in parliament. It also risks widening into a broader fight over relations between the president and the governing bloc.