Reports
Lithuania Weekly: Vaitkus’s Belarus Trip Fuels Anti-Government Rhetoric
A recent visit to Belarus by Eduardas Vaitkus has ignited fierce controversy in Lithuania, drawing sharp criticism from government officials and becoming a propaganda tool for Kremlin-aligned media. While Minister of National Defence Dovilė Šakalienė and MP Laurynas Kasčiūnas denounced the trip as harmful to national interests, pro-Kremlin voices turned the incident into a platform for anti-government rhetoric, fueling distrust in democratic institutions and framing state leaders as the real threat to Lithuania.
Read moreLithuania Weekly: May 9th as a Propaganda Tool
Kremlin-aligned media amplified Victory Day commemorations while accusing Lithuania of attempting to erase historical memory. President Nausėda’s criticism of the Moscow parade sparked a coordinated backlash, fueling claims that Baltic leaders are disrespectful of Russian traditions. Disinformation sources further misled audiences with unrelated headlines and narratives portraying Lithuania as ideologically lost and historically ignorant - reinforcing broader efforts to divide society and bolster pro-Russian sentiment.
Read moreLithuania Monthly: Real Estate Tax Protest Becomes a Tool for Kremlin's Disinformation
A protest against Lithuania’s new real estate tax in April became a lightning rod for Kremlin-aligned media, which framed the demonstration as a sign of civil unrest and government collapse. Originally aimed at aligning with Western fiscal norms, the policy sparked public backlash - now amplified by narratives of corruption, conspiracy, and social injustice. Disinformation actors portrayed the protest as a grassroots revolt against a failing system, using emotionally charged slogans, fabricated links to unrelated events, and high-profile influencers to erode trust in the Lithuanian government and democratic institutions.
Read moreLithuania Weekly: Kremlin-Aligned Media Targets Lithuanian Leadership
This past week, Kremlin-aligned outlets seized on a protest in Vilnius against the proposed real estate tax, using it as a platform for conspiracy theories and anti-government rhetoric. Alongside slogans portraying the tax as an attack on ordinary citizens, commentary amplified the coincidental timing of a fire at a nearby waste facility, suggesting it was a deliberate attempt to suppress protest turnout. The tax itself was framed as a corrupt scheme by political elites, furthering narratives aimed at eroding trust in Lithuania’s leadership and democratic institutions.
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