Report
Lithuania Weekly: Kremlin-Aligned Outlets Twist Jobless Aid Talk into Military Draft Claim
Last week, pro-Kremlin media in Lithuania pushed disinformation suggesting the country’s independence is crumbling and NATO membership offers more danger than protection. Misleading headlines fueled outrage over a misunderstood proposal linking unemployment benefits to Riflemen’s Union membership, while scandals surrounding Gintautas Paluckas were largely ignored or downplayed.
Weekly Reports
Estonia Weekly: Defense Spending Proposal Sparks Dispute
Estonian Prime Minister Kristen Michal proposed raising defence spending to 5% of GDP. Pro-Russian social media users criticised the move. Pro-Kremlin commentators expressed irony, while others praised Trump’s new policy and some hoped for the cancellation of the green deal in Europe.
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Lithuania Weekly: Pro-Kremlin Media Targets January 13th Commemoration
This week, pro-Kremlin media in Lithuania sought to undermine the significance of January 13th, the Day of the Defenders of Freedom, criticizing the “exaggerated sacralization” of the occasion and the forget-me-not symbol of remembrance. Additionally, the resignation of Agnė Širinskienė from the “Nemuno Aušra” party was leveraged to amplify anti-government narratives, fueling skepticism about the ruling authorities and their policies. These efforts aim to erode national unity and trust in Lithuania’s leadership.
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Latvia Weekly: Telegram Channels Use Trump to Undermine NATO and Baltics
Kremlin-aligned Telegram channels are using Trump’s image to advance anti-Western narratives, portraying NATO and Baltic States as aggressors while framing Trump’s presidency as a victory against liberal values. The messaging characterizes defensive actions by Baltic states – from military spending to infrastructure projects and NATO cooperation – as aggressive provocations, while portraying the Baltic states as American puppets whose interests will be marginalized under Trump in favor of Russian ones.
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Estonia Weekly: A Call to Protest Against High Tariffs in Narva
Known for its pro-Kremlin views, opposition party KOOS / Вместе, launches a petition for revision of Narva’s hot water and heating tariffs, gaining social media support. Critics of the Tallinn-Riga-Vilnius rail link argue for government inefficiency, while also promoting Soviet nostalgia.
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Lithuania Weekly: Pro-Kremlin Media Undermines NATO
This week, pro-Kremlin media in Lithuania intensified efforts to question NATO’s reliability as a security guarantee for Lithuania, amplifying conspiracy theories about hidden control over the alliance. Alongside this, they painted a bleak picture of Ukraine’s battlefield losses and mobilization challenges, pushing the narrative of an unavoidable war. These campaigns aim to erode trust in NATO, diminish public confidence in collective defense, and foster a pessimistic outlook on Ukraine’s future.
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Latvia Weekly: Exploiting Trump’s Radical Ideas
Pro-Kremlin Telegram channels are leveraging Donald Trump’s statements to spread narratives that aim to undermine NATO alliances and normalize Russia’s territorial ambitions. The channels circulate various themes, including claims about American companies resuming business with Russia, false historical narratives about the Baltic states, and allegations of Western media bias and censorship.
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Estonia Weekly: More Speculations on Alleged Russophobia
The Russian Theatre in Tallinn is set to undergo a renaming due to geopolitical changes, with vocal critics accusing the government of rewriting history and discriminating against the local Russian-speaking population. Another debate on social media erupted over the Russian Orthodox Church of Moscow Patriarchate’s status, with pro-Kremlin users claiming liquidation of this church has already been decided.
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Lithuania Weekly: Shift Towards Ukraine-Related Matters
Last week, Kremlin-aligned media in Lithuania targeted the country’s support for Ukraine, portraying it as ineffective and corrupt. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky was accused of pursuing “utopian objectives” that escalate the conflict, while Lithuania was framed as being drawn into unnecessary militarisation, with citizens allegedly prepared to become “cogs in the war machine.” These narratives aimed to erode public support for Ukraine, amplify distrust in Western alliances, and undermine confidence in Lithuania’s foreign and security policies.
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Latvia Weekly: Kremlin-Aligned Predictions for 2025
At the turn of 2025, Kremlin-aligned Telegram channels issued predictions heavily focused on Donald Trump’s potential positive impact on Russia, forecasting a dramatic decline in U.S. global leadership and engagement. This would result in the decline of Europe and NATO and the rise of Russia. Only “fools” think that Russia will be defeated in Ukraine.
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