Overview

• The EU is preparing its 18th sanctions package against Russia with calls to include energy giants like Gazprom, Rosatom and Lukoil and to exclude remaining banks from the SWIFT payments system.
• President Gitanas Nauseda criticized Chancellor Friedrich Merz for failing to follow through on threats made during a joint call for a 30-day ceasefire in Ukraine.
• Nauseda warned that Russia’s aggression extends beyond Ukraine and constitutes a threat to all of Europe, underscoring the need for unity among member states.
• Germany plans to send 5,000 Bundeswehr soldiers to Lithuania in the coming years to bolster NATO’s eastern defenses and secure Europe’s border with Russia.
• The Lithuanian president urged EU members to adopt bolder measures to uphold the bloc’s credibility and deter further Russian aggression.