The blockade of a road on the Lithuanian-Polish border by farmers on March 1 may violate the European Union principle of free movement of goods and people, Lithuanian Economy and Innovation Minister Aušrine Armonaitė said, LRT writes.
“As far as I understand, the flow of people will not be stopped, but we are still members of the free European Union, where the movement of goods and people should be free. Any impediment to that movement has the potential to disrupt freedom of movement,” the minister said.
She noted that trucks at the border would be directed to additional parking lots for inspection, which could lead to queues.
A nationwide strike of farmers started in Poland on February 9. The main demands of the strikers are to adjust the “green” course of the European Commission, to limit the inflow of Ukrainian agricultural products to the Polish market, as well as to increase the profitability of agricultural production. During the protests, farmers block Ukrainian-Polish border crossings.
Since March 1, Polish farmers have been preparing for two new blockades – at the former Polish-German border crossing in Svec and on the road near the former Lithuanian-Polish border crossing “Kalwaria-Budzisko”. Farmers will check the contents of trucks, especially agricultural goods.
According to Ausris Macijauskas, chairman of the Lithuanian Grain Producers Association, Polish farmers’ suspicions that Ukrainian grain brought from Poland to Lithuania is being returned or processed and re-exported as Lithuanian goods are justified.
Via Baltica is a 970-kilometer section of European route E67 between Tallinn and Warsaw. It provides road links between the Baltic countries. E67 connects Helsinki (Finland) and Prague (Czech Republic).
The Suvalki Gap is a strip of land about 100 kilometers long on the Lithuanian-Polish border, which is wedged between the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad in the west and Belarus in the east.
Maciauskas said earlier that Lithuanian farmers for their part would not contribute to the Polish protest. According to him, the biggest problem of Lithuanian farmers is Russian grain.
A new military support package from the Lithuanian Ministry of National Defense arrived in Ukraine on February 9.
As reported on the Lithuanian defense ministry’s website on Friday, it includes the necessary equipment for the winter season and tens of thousands of sets of warm clothing for the Ukrainian army.
“We are providing tens of thousands of Ukrainian soldiers with equipment and clothing that are essential for outdoor operations in the cold season. Each of our support packages is an additional step towards victory,” said Arvydas Anušauskas, Minister of National Defense of Lithuania.
The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense has announced the transfer of detonation systems and thousands of rounds of ammunition for anti-tank grenade launchers to Ukraine.
“Lithuania continues to provide unwavering military support to Ukraine. Today, the Lithuanian army delivered detonation systems and thousands of rounds of ammunition for anti-tank grenade launchers. Our commitment to supporting Ukraine is not just solidarity, it is an investment in the security of Europe,” the ministry said in a statement on social media platform X.
According to Radio Svoboda, these are RISE-1 remote detonation systems and ammunition for the Swedish Carl Gustaf hand-held anti-tank grenade launcher.
AMMUNITION, anti-tank grenade, detonation systems, LITHUANIA
Lithuania will send M577 armored personnel carriers to Ukraine in February, and a package of long-term military assistance worth 200 million euros has been approved, President Gitanas Nausėda said.
“At a meeting of the State Defense Council, we approved a package of long-term military assistance to Ukraine in the amount of 200 million euros. In January, we will send ammunition, generators, detonation systems to Ukraine again, and in February – M577 armored personnel carriers, we will train the Ukrainian military,” Nausėda said at a joint press conference with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Vilnius on Wednesday.
Lithuania will transfer to Ukraine in 2024 vehicles purchased in 2023, including trucks, pickups, ambulances, various trailers and forklifts, the republic’s Defense Ministry said on Wednesday. Unmanned aerial vehicles, antidrones, remote detonation systems, ammunition and magazines, warm clothing sets, and various winter equipment will also be transferred.
According to the ministry, most of the aid is aimed at the needs of the coalition for demining Ukraine, which is being formed by Lithuania, and will include the purchase of various demining equipment, forklifts, trucks, as well as ammunition and dry rations. This assistance will be delivered to Ukraine in 2024-2025.
By the end of this year, it is planned to train approximately 3,000 Ukrainian military personnel.
On Friday, Lithuania handed over a new batch of military aid to Ukraine, the Defense Ministry said.
The Lithuanian Armed Forces sent several million rounds of ammunition and several thousand shells for short-range portable anti-tank grenade launchers to Ukraine. The aid shipment also includes about a thousand folding beds, the statement said.
“We hear the urgent requests of Ukraine and continue to provide assistance in accordance with the stated needs. We actively encourage our allies to do the same,” Defense Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said.
According to the Ministry of Defense, in addition to the regular transfer of military equipment, Lithuania also actively trains Ukrainian servicemen, provides medical treatment and rehabilitation, expert advice, and allocates funds to international funds for Ukraine.
As noted, for the period of 2024-2026, Lithuania will provide Ukraine with a military assistance package of EUR 200 million to counter Russia’s full-scale military aggression.
Kormotech, a leading Ukrainian manufacturer of cat and dog food, will expand its production in Kėdainiai, Lithuania, investing more than EUR60 million in four production stages to be commissioned in 2025-2028, the company’s press service told Interfax-Ukraine.
“Lithuania is now our window to the world. Our plant in Kėdainiai has become a reliable support for us – it always operates at 100% capacity, while in Ukraine we have to take into account the risks of shutdowns due to the war. We aim to further expand our capacity in Lithuania by building four additional production lines by 2028,” said Rostyslav Vovk, CEO and co-owner of Kormotech.
Kormotech launched its first foreign plant in Kėdainiai, Lithuania, in 2020. Currently, more than 170 specialists from Ukraine and Lithuania work at the wet feed production facility with a capacity of more than 20 thousand tons per year.
“Our successful experience of building and operating in Lithuania, favorable conditions in the free economic zone, support from Invest Lithuania and our well-established network of partners and suppliers led us to the decision to expand the enterprise,” emphasized Vovk.
Kormotech plans to launch the first new production line by 2025, adding a line each year until the four production lines are fully operational in 2028. As the expansion project progresses, the company will be interested in finding qualified engineers, technologists, and other highly specialized professionals in both Ukraine and Lithuania. With the new expansion project, Kormotech will double its current workforce in Lithuania, adding 200 new jobs in five years.
According to Elius Civilis, Director General of Invest Lithuania, the Lithuanian state agency, Kormotech’s expansion shows that Lithuania is open to foreign investors and creates truly favorable conditions for them.
“In Kėdainiai, Kormotech has built a modern, highly automated plant employing local specialists of various competencies. The company’s decision to expand its facilities and double the team size demonstrates the quality of both the local business infrastructure and talent,” emphasized Chivilis.
In Ukraine, Kormotech is constantly expanding its production capacity. During 2022-2023, the company invested about $14 million to modernize dry feed production and expand wet feed production by almost 70%.
“We plan to build new production facilities in Ukraine immediately after the war ends,” said Vovk.
Kormotech is a global family-owned company with Ukrainian roots that has been producing high-quality cat and dog food under the Optimeal, CLUB 4 PAWS, Woof, Meow! The company has production facilities in Ukraine and the EU. The product range includes more than 650 items.
The company is among the TOP-60 global pet food manufacturers and TOP-20 most dynamic pet food brands. Kormotech sells products of its own brands and those of its partners in 40 countries.
Currently, the company employs about 1300 people in five countries – Ukraine, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and the United States.
Invest Lithuania is a non-profit agency under the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Lithuania. Its mission is to attract foreign investment. It serves as a point of contact for foreign companies and accompanies international business at every stage of the process of starting a business in Lithuania, providing information on recruitment, tax benefits and financing options.
