Assessments

United States

Europe

Lithuania

Belarus

Russia

Lithuanian Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte (center) speaks to journalists in Vilnius on May 23, 2021, about the Ryanair passenger plane that was hijacked and diverted to Minsk, Belarus.

Politics

Military & Security

The Fight for Russia’s Borderlands

Any Western response to the plane hijacking incident is unlikely to stop Lukashenko from continuing his crackdown on dissent. 

What to Make of Belarus’s Brazen Arrest of a Journalist 

Security

Snapshots

China

Czech Republic

Estonia

Latvia

Bulgaria

Croatia

Poland

Romania

Austria

Slovakia

Slovenia

Hungary

A satellite image shows Europe at night.

Economics

The U.S. and the Balance of Power

The move shows the White House remains committed to its security and economic engagements in the region, with an eye on countering China and Russia. 

The U.S. Ramps Up Financial Support to Central and Eastern Europe

EU: Regional Blocs

The New Silk Road

Divided EU Foreign Policies

2020 Second-Quarter Forecast

Europe is a continent riven by pockets of distinct cultures whose differences are all too often irreconcilable.

<p>To the west of Eurasia lays Europe, a region predisposed to division. It is surrounded on nearly all sides by islands and peninsulas that make it difficult for Europe to cohere. The northern half of the continent, moreover, sits on a plain whose short, meandering rivers tend to empower countries without forcing them to work with others. The southern half is situated on more mountainous terrain that has historically impeded the creation of strong, unified economies. As a result, Europe is a continent riven by pockets of distinct cultures whose differences are all too often irreconcilable.</p>

2020 Annual Forecast

2019 Fourth-Quarter Forecast

France

Germany

The Russian 9M729 intermediate-range cruise missile was developed in secret had been deployed in small numbers even before the IMF Treaty became defunct.

Echoes of the Cold War

Moscow would couple any new deployments of its intermediate-range missiles with rhetoric blaming the United States for the treaty's collapse and subsequent weapons buildups.

Russia Approaches a Post-INF Arms Race in Europe With Caution

2019 Third-Quarter Forecast

Global Perspectives

Partner Perspectives

A post marks the beginning of Polish territory on its border with Lithuania.

The U.S. and its NATO allies are looking for new ways to deter Russian aggression against the Baltic states. But policymakers and defense planners have yet to agree on Moscow's intentions in the region.

Threading the Needle Through the Suwalki Gap

2019 Second-Quarter Forecast

2019 Annual Forecast

Columns

On Geopolitics

European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker (center) and representatives of the Three Seas Initiative take part in a summit on Sept. 18 in Romania.

In many ways, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania have never had it so good economically and politically. But brewing problems to the east and west have given them cause for disquiet. 

The Baltic Nations Look Abroad and See Problems

2018 Fourth-Quarter Forecast

Taiwan

Environment, Science & Technology

The head of the Taiwanese representative office in Vilnius, Lithuania, announced that Taiwan -- a world leader in semiconductor manufacturing -- will invest more than 10 million euros ($9.98 million) to boost semiconductor production in Lithuania, Reuters reported Nov. 7.

Lithuania, Taiwan: Taipei to Invest in Lithuanian Chip Production, Vilnius Opens Trade Office

The European Commission released a revised guidance clarifying that existing sanctions on Russian goods did not apply to goods transported from Russia to the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad via Lithuania by rail, the Financial Times reported July 13.

Russia, Lithuania: European Commission Allows Transit of Sanctioned Goods by Rail to Kaliningrad

Cyber

Nikolai Patrushev, the secretary of Russia's Security Council, announced that an interagency group is preparing response measures to Lithuania's recent enforcement of EU sanctions on Russia, and he said Russia's actions will occur "in the near future" and "have a serious negative impact on the population of Lithuania," Current Time reported June 21.

Russia, Lithuania: Moscow to Retaliate Over Vilnius' Ban on Sanctioned Goods to Kaliningrad

Asia-Pacific: Among Great Powers

European business groups, including the German-Baltic Chamber of Commerce, have been pressuring Lithuania to de-escalate its dispute with China over Vilnius' new Taiwan Representative Office or else face a mass exodus of companies, Reuters reported Jan. 21.

China, Lithuania: Businesses Pressure Lithuania as Exports to China Dry Up

The Fate of the Eurozone

China in Transition

China threatened to remove multinational corporations’ access to the Chinese market if they did business in Lithuania, Reuters reported Dec. 9.

Lithuania, China: Beijing Reportedly Pressures MNCs to Leave Vilnius Over Taiwan

China’s Foreign Ministry announced that it downgraded its diplomatic ties with Lithuania to the level of charge d’affaires after Lithuania opened a Taiwanese Representative Office on Nov. 18, Reuters reported Nov. 21.

China, Lithuania: Beijing Downgrades Diplomatic Status Over Taiwan Office

Ukraine

Instability in Central Asia

Ukraine will deploy an additional 8,500 border guards, national guards and police -- along with 15 helicopters -- to guard its border with Belarus and prevent migrants from crossing through the country on their way to the European Union, Reuters reported Nov. 11.

Ukraine: Government to Deploy Additional Personnel on Border with Belarus

The Genomic Map of Poland, a $25 million EU-funded research project to map Poland's genome, intends to cancel its contract with the Central Europe Genomics Center over its use of technology from China's BGI Group, Reuters reported Sept. 22. A day earlier, the Lithuanian Defense Ministry advised citizens not to use Chinese phones after the country's cybersecurity agency released a report showing that Xiaomi phones were able to censor political phrases.

Lithuania, Poland: Regional Skepticism of Chinese Technology Emerges

Afghanistan

Algeria

Antigua and Barbuda

Luxembourg

South Sudan

A view of the Register in Samarkand, Uzbekistan.

Angola

Argentina

Armenia

Australia

Bahrain

Covering an area that spans the entire width of the continent beginning at the Sahara Desert and ending at the southernmost tip of South Africa, Sub-Saharan Africa is home to countless cultures, languages, religions, plants, animals and natural resources.

Barbados

Benin

Egypt

Maldives

Malta

Belize

Botswana

Brunei Darussalam

India

Iran

North Macedonia

Tajikistan

Bhutan

Bolivia

Burkina Faso

Cambodia

Iraq

The President palace in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan

The administrative center of the Gakh region of Azerbaijan, located at the foot of the southern slope of the Greater Caucasus, on the river Kurhumchai.

Brazil

Burundi

Finland

Israel

Nepal

Cameroon

Canada

Georgia

Jordan

Pakistan

Mir Castle in the Minsk region of Belarus.

Cabo Verde

Chile

Federated States of Micronesia

Kuwait

Liechtenstein

Sri Lanka

Central African Republic

Colombia

Fiji

Lebanon

Bosnia and Herzegovina

Chad

Costa Rica

Indonesia

Libya

Comoros

Cuba

Japan

A horse grazes in front of Kara-Kul lake in the Chon-Ak-Suu valley, 300 kilometers southeast of Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan.

Morocco

Cote d'Ivoire

Denmark

Dominica

Kiribati

Moldova

Oman

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Dominican Republic

Laos

Palestinian Territories

Djibouti

Ecuador

Holy See (Vatican City)

Malaysia

Qatar

El Salvador

Equatorial Guinea

Greece

Marshall Islands

Saudi Arabia

Eritrea

Grenada

Mongolia

Lithuania is a country in northeastern Europe. Located by the Baltic Sea, it shares land borders with Latvia, Belarus, Poland and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad. Lithuania’s political and economic capital is Vilnius, but the city of Klaipeda, which is home to the main ice-free port on the eastern coast of the Baltic Sea, is also of strategic importance to the country.     Lithuania is mostly flat, with several short rivers and multiple lakes. Its main river is the Neman, which begins in Belarus and flows through Lithuania before reaching the Baltic Sea. A third of Lithuania’s territory consists of woodlands, while the fertile lands in the country’s center represent the core of Lithuania’s agricultural sector.     Lithuania rose to prominence in the 14th century as the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which extended over parts of modern-day Belarus, Ukraine, Poland and Russia. In the late 16th century, Lithuania and Poland formed the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, becoming a major European power. But despite its occasional might, Lithuania has often faced threats from its powerful neighbors, which over the centuries have included Germany, Austria, Russia and Sweden. By the late 19th century, imperial Russia had absorbed most of Lithuania’s territory. While Lithuania briefly obtained independence in 1918, the Soviet Union annexed the country after World War II. Lithuania was a Soviet republic until 1990, when it became independent once more. Since then, Lithuania has joined NATO, the European Union, the Schengen agreement and the eurozone.    Lithuania’s main geopolitical concern in Russia. The country’s fear of potential Russian aggression increased after Moscow’s military intervention in Ukraine in 2014. In recent years, the country has increased its military expenditures and sought to reduce its dependence on Russian energy. In 2014, for example, it opened an LNG terminal in Klaipeda. Despite Vilnius' fears, Russia remains Lithuania’s main trade partner. Lithuania’s main geopolitical challenge is thus to cooperate with its neighbors in the Baltic region, the broader European Union and NATO to secure political, economic and military protection against potential foreign aggression.

Female

Male

Sweden

Belgium

Portugal

Cyprus

Netherlands

Spain

Italy

Ireland

A production line at factory Dec. 12, 2022, in Bierne, France.

Targeted EU Protectionism and Partial Cooperation With the U.S.

High EU Protectionism and High Cooperation With the U.S.

High EU Protectionism and No Cooperation With the U.S.

Fragmented EU Protectionism and Haphazard Coordination With the U.S.

Reduced EU Protectionism and Moderate Cooperation With the U.S.

How Will EU Industrial Policy Evolve Through Mid-2024?

Science & Technology

Latvia declared a state of emergency on Aug. 10 along its border with Belarus, which authorizes border guards, armed forces and police officers to use force to expel migrants trying to enter the country, Euractiv has reported. On the same day, Lithuania’s parliament also approved the construction of a metal fence topped with razor wire along most of its border with Belarus.

Latvia, Lithuania: Countries Boost Security Along Belarus Border 

SITUATION REPORTS

Lithuania, Taiwan: Taipei to Invest in Lithuanian Chip Production, Vilnius Opens Trade Office

Russia, Lithuania: European Commission Allows Transit of Sanctioned Goods by Rail to Kaliningrad

Russia, Lithuania: Moscow to Retaliate Over Vilnius' Ban on Sanctioned Goods to Kaliningrad

China, Lithuania: Businesses Pressure Lithuania as Exports to China Dry Up

Lithuania, China: Beijing Reportedly Pressures MNCs to Leave Vilnius Over Taiwan

China, Lithuania: Beijing Downgrades Diplomatic Status Over Taiwan Office

Ukraine: Government to Deploy Additional Personnel on Border with Belarus

Lithuania, Poland: Regional Skepticism of Chinese Technology Emerges

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