Key facts
- Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia summoned Russian diplomatic representatives.
- The Baltic states accuse Russia of spreading false claims about deportations of Russian speakers.
- Russia's Foreign Ministry alleged Baltic countries are persecuting Russian speakers and providing air corridors for Ukrainian drone attacks.
- Estonia and Lithuania stated Russia's claims are propaganda to divert attention from its aggression in Ukraine.
- The diplomatic row occurred as Russia launched new missile and drone attacks on Ukraine.
Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have summoned Russian diplomatic representatives, accusing Moscow of spreading false claims about the Baltic states as it steps up missile and drone attacks on Ukraine. The countries stated that allegations of mass deportations of Russian speakers and the use of their airspace by Ukraine to attack Russia are part of the Kremlin's strategy to distract from its own actions.
Lithuania's Foreign Ministry told Euronews that Russia is attempting to divert attention from its aggression against Ukraine and portray itself as a victim. Estonia's foreign ministry spokesperson, Susan Lilleväli, stated that Moscow is trying to distract from its violations of international law, including the forcible transfer and deportation of Ukrainian children. Lithuania and Latvia have rejected the deportation claims, with Latvia emphasizing that all residents are protected by the rule of law regardless of ethnicity.
Estonian Foreign Minister Margus Tsahkna described the suggestions as unfounded Russian propaganda, asserting that Estonia is a democratic state governed by the rule of law. These allegations follow a joint human rights report by the Belarusian and Russian Foreign Ministries, which criticized Latvia's amended Immigration Law. This law requires Russian citizens to apply for long-term resident status, demonstrate Latvian language skills, and pass security checks to remain legally in the country, affecting approximately 30,000 individuals.
Lithuanian intelligence services have noted that Russia consistently accuses the Baltic states of persecuting Russian speakers and glorifying Nazi collaborators. The Russian Foreign Ministry is identified as playing a central role in amplifying these claims through diplomatic channels to justify Moscow's foreign policy and pressure the Baltic states.
The diplomatic actions were also prompted by claims from Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Mikhail Galuzin that the Baltic states had provided air corridors for Ukrainian drones attacking Russian civilian infrastructure. Latvia's foreign ministry called these statements "blatantly false" and demanded their retraction. Lithuania and Estonia similarly denied allowing their territory or airspace to be used for drone strikes inside Russia.
The diplomatic dispute unfolded concurrently with Russia's latest wave of missile and drone attacks on Ukraine. The Baltic nations condemned these attacks, citing recent strikes that resulted in civilian casualties and arguing that Russia is escalating its campaign against civilian targets. Lithuania emphasized that the deliberate targeting of civilians and civilian infrastructure constitutes a grave breach of international humanitarian law and amounts to war crimes.