International

The Prime Minister of Lithuania asks by surprise for the resignation of the head of Defense

The Minister of Defense of Lithuania, Arvydas Anusauskas, announced this Saturday that he has resigned at the request of the Prime Minister, Ingrida Simonyte, just two months before the presidential elections and seven of the legislative elections, a demand that caught him by surprise in the midst of tensions with neighboring Russia.

Anusauskas himself explained this Saturday that the day before he received a “somewhat unexpected” offer from Simonyte, which was that he leave his position to another politician from next week and that he assume the presidency of a committee in the Seimas (Parliament), something he initially rejected.

After talking to the Prime Minister herself, she decided within the framework of “this difficult moment for the work of the Ministry of National Defense and the strengthening of the Army, and in a context in which threats do not decrease,” to write her letter of resignation to maintain political support for the head of the Government.

Symonite wrote on his Facebook account that the minister’s resignation “is not related to any sudden change in the Lithuanian state of national security, changes in threats or any negative news about the ministry’s activities.”

“I was worried about the expectation of making Lithuania feel safe for the rest of the mandate and that the Government would do even more and faster than it has done so far,” he explained, however.

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“A lot has been done, but the remaining nine months are a short time, and this session of the Seimas is very important to make decisions in which maximum participation is required,” he added, referring to the legislative elections on October 13 in Lithuania.

In addition, the country will hold presidential elections on May 12, in which the current head of state, Gitanas Nauseda, who leads the polls with 28.5%, the highest percentage since October 2022, will be presented again.

He is followed by the lawyer and right-wing politician Ignas Vėgėlė with 13.4% and the Christian Democrat Simonyte, economist and prime minister since 2020.

International

Zelenski urges global action after russian ballistic missile strike

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenski called on the international community Thursday to “respond” to Russia’s ballistic missile strike on Ukraine, which he said has heightened the “escalation and brutality” of the conflict.

“The world must react. So far, there has been no strong response,” Zelenski lamented in a social media statement.

“We must act. We must pressure. We must push Russia towards real peace, which is only achievable through strength,” he added.

Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed Thursday that Russia had launched a new type of hypersonic ballistic missile against Ukraine in its “non-nuclear configuration.”

International

Elon Musk plans sweeping cuts to U.S. bureaucracy and spending

Elon Musk has pledged massive cuts to government programs, subsidies, and bureaucracy in his anticipated role as a “State Efficiency” leader, according to an article published Wednesday in The Wall Street Journal.

The billionaire entrepreneur plans to target hundreds of billions of dollars in federal spending, including funds for public broadcasting and Planned Parenthood. Musk called government bureaucracy an “existential threat” to American democracy.

Teaming up with fellow businessman and Trump ally Vivek Ramaswamy, Musk aims to streamline federal regulations and implement significant administrative and cost reductions.

“We are entrepreneurs, not politicians. We will serve as external volunteers, not federal officials or employees,” Musk and Ramaswamy stated in the article.

International

Putin warns of escalation, suggests strikes on western weapon suppliers

Russian President Vladimir Putin declared that the conflict in Ukraine is taking on the characteristics of a “global war,” warning that Russia might target Western nations supplying Ukraine with weapons used in attacks on Russian territory.

These remarks come after a day of heightened tensions, during which Russia launched a state-of-the-art medium-range missile designed to carry a nuclear warhead. However, this particular missile was loaded with conventional explosives.

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky condemned the missile strike, calling it the action of a “deranged neighbor” using Ukraine as a “military testing ground.”

Earlier, Ukraine accused Russia of attacking the central-eastern city of Dnipro with a missile exhibiting “all the characteristics” of an intercontinental missile, an unprecedented development in the ongoing conflict.