BREAKING NEWS: Lithuania extends state of emergency as Russia Ukraine war continues

The Republic of Lithuania has extended its state of emergency as the war between Russia and Ukraine continues, as reported on Tuesday, June 28.

The Republic of Lithuania extended its state of emergency due to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine with Viktorija Čmilytė-Nielsen, Speaker of the Seimas, stating:

“Unfortunately, the threat to public safety continues unabated. Russia’s military aggression in Ukraine continues.”

“Crimes against humanity and war crimes are being committed and are only increasing in scale. In addition, the Russian Federation is pursuing an open and intensifying rhetoric of threats against the states that support Ukraine, while at the same time denigrating their independence, territorial integrity, cherished values and history, and even questioning their very existence.”

“This increased threat to public tranquillity cannot be eliminated without temporary restrictions on the exercise of certain constitutional rights and freedoms and the imposition of emergency measures.”

The state of emergency of Lithuania will be introduced on June 30 and last until September 15.

The following restrictions are imposed during the state of emergency, as issued by the Government of Lithuania:

1) it is prohibited to retransmit and/or distribute on the Internet in the territory of the Republic of Lithuania radio programmes and television programmes of entities established, directly or indirectly owned, controlled or financed by the Russian Federation or the Republic of Belarus, except in cases when the Lithuanian Radio and Television Commission grants permission or when they are retransmitted (distributed) from the Member States of the European Union or from the countries that have ratified the European Convention on Television without Frontiers;

2) persons shall be prohibited from organising and assembling for the purpose of supporting, in any form or to any extent, the actions of Russia and Belarus, which have led to the imposition of a state of emergency.

The emergency measures established by Lithuania during its state of emergency are as follows:

(1) the use of the State Reserve to ensure adequate reception conditions for foreigners fleeing military aggression and persecution, the provision of assistance to Ukraine, the financing of the activities of the institutions involved in the management of the state of emergency, and the removal of a threat to Lithuania’s overriding interests of national security and to the public tranquility;

2) Enhanced protection of enterprises, installations and assets important for national security (hereinafter referred to as “important objects”).

3) Strengthening the protection of the external border of the European Union (EU) by applying the measures laid down in the laws and special plans. Persons intending to cross or having crossed the EU’s external border at non-designated points shall not be admitted to the territory of Lithuania (this provision does not apply to ensure humanitarian access for foreigners fleeing military aggression and/or persecution, including those who do not have valid travel documents);

4) the transit through the territory of Lithuania of aliens travelling under the Special Transit Scheme shall be carried out in accordance with the conditions established by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania and agreed with the State Border Guard Service;

5) tightening of the visa regime for foreigners (suspension of the receipt of visa applications and decisions on visa applications from Russian and Belarusian citizens, except in cases where the Lithuanian Ministry of Foreign Affairs mediates the issuance of visas);

6) inspection of vehicles and persons and their luggage at the border area in accordance with the procedure established by law, in order to find and seize illegally stored firearms and other dangerous substances.

The news follows Russia threatening to revoke the recognition of Lithuania as an EU state due to the blockade in the Kaliningrad region, as stated by the Chairman of the Provisional Commission of the Federation Council on Protection of State Sovereignty and Prevention of Interference in Russia’s Internal Affairs, Senator Andrei Klimov, on Monday, June, 20.

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