Queen Elizabeth II of Great Britain died at the age of 96.

the Commission is proposing to fully suspend the EU's Visa Facilitation Agreement with Russia. A country like Russia, waging a war of aggression, should not qualify for visa facilitations as long as it continues conducting its destructive foreign policy and military aggression towards Ukraine, demonstrating a complete disregard to the international rules-based order. The suspension is in response to increased risks and threats to the Union's security interests and the national security of the Member States as result of Russia's military aggression against Ukraine. This means that Russian citizens will no longer enjoy privileged access to the EU and face a lengthier, more expensive and more difficult visa application process. Member States will have wide discretion in processing short-stay visa applications from Russian citizens, and will be able to ensure greater scrutiny in respect of Russian nationals travelling to the EU. The EU will remain open to certain categories of Russian visa applicants travelling for essential purposes, including notably family members of EU citizens, journalists, dissidents and civil society representatives.

On Tuesday, President Gitanas Nausėda congratulated Liz Truss on assuming the office of the UK’s Prime Minister. The President wished her continued strength and success in working for the good of her country.

On 6-7 September, the Nordic-Baltic Eight (NB8) Foreign Ministers will meet in Kaunas to discuss the issues of strengthening regional security, Russia’s military aggression against Ukraine, support for Ukraine, energy security in the region, the impact of global economic challenges on the countries of the region, prospects for closer cooperation with the Indo-Pacific democracies, preparations for the upcoming United Nations General Assembly, and other issues of importance for the region.

"Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev died this evening after a serious and long-term illness," the Central Clinical Hospital in Moscow reported late Tuesday evening.

On 19 August, the Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania Egidijus Meilūnas had a telephone conversation with Rick Waters, Assistant Secretary of State for East Asian and Pacific Affairs, and Douglas D. Jones, Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for European and Eurasian Affairs.

The EU has coordinated the delivery of 66,224 tonnes of in-kind assistance to Ukraine from 30 countries via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism. The assistance delivered includes 180 ambulances, 125 fire-fighting vehicles, 300 power generators, 35 heavy machinery vehicles, and 4 pontoon bridges. This is by far the largest, longest lasting and most complex operation via the EU Civil Protection Mechanism since it was established in 2001, with an estimated value so far of over €425 million. To support this operation, logistics hubs have been set up in Poland, Romania and Slovakia where assistance is then chanelled directly to Ukraine.

There are reasons to be optimistic about Lithuania’s trade data for the first half of 2022. The Government’s goal of diversifying export markets has not only proved successful but is also gaining momentum.

The European Commission, on behalf of the EU, has today disbursed the first half (€500 million) of a new €1 billion macro-financial assistance (MFA) operation for Ukraine. The second tranche (another €500 million) will be disbursed tomorrow, 2 August. The decision about this new exceptional MFA was adopted by the European Parliament and the Council on 12 July 2022.

On Tuesday, as he attended the ceremony to commemorate the centenary of Lithuania-US diplomatic relations and the anniversary of the Sumner Welles Declaration, President Gitanas Nausėda pointed out that during the years of the Soviet occupation, Lithuania had always enjoyed the support of the United States of America in its pursuit of independence.