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Foreign Policy

  • Trump's strategy

    2026-03-10

    Donald Trump has said that the Iran operation is an example of his policy of “peace through strength” Trump proposed a $1.5 trillion defense budget, a 66 percent increase to an already huge number. Trump saw, as no other candidate did, the hollow credibility of the Republican establishment.

  • Trump Promised to Tear Up the Regime-Change Playbook. He Is Now Following It.

    2026-03-10

    Trump administration has begun exaggerating the likely benefits of military action, says Julian Zelizer. Zelizer: The administration has claimed that Iran was “a week away from having industrial grade bomb-making material”

  • Trump Likely to Confront Democratic Wall on Iran War Funding

    2026-03-10

    Democrats are unified in their opposition to the unauthorized war against Iran. But they are divided on how to respond to a funding request for the war. The U.S. military needs to replenish its forces in the Middle East and Africa.

  • Iran Threatens to Stop Oil From Leaving the Middle East

    2026-03-10

    The cost of a barrel of Brent crude hit around $90 on Tuesday. Fears of Iranian attacks coupled with high insurance costs have largely halted oil and gas tankers from traversing the Strait of Hormuz. The White House has said that it is considering having the U.S. Navy escort tankers through the strait.

  • State Department Refuses Former Staffers’ Help in Middle East Evacuation

    2026-03-10

    The State Department has declined offers from benched State Department officials to help with Iran war-related evacuation efforts. Around 250 diplomats were laid off under a so-called reduction-in-force (RIF) order last year but have not yet officially separated from the department. Only after the operation had started did the State Department issue a security alert advising “Americans worldwide and especially in the Middle East’ The State Department has since begun operating charter flights, with over two dozen so far completed.

  • Why China Might Have a Role to Play in Iran

    2026-03-10

    Beijing could be poised to mediate in the Iran war if given the diplomatic space. China saw an exodus of Middle Eastern academic experts to universities in Gulf countries such as Qatar after 2017. China is closely watching the United States’ use of technology and the timescale of replenishment.

  • China’s Middle East Ties Go Far Beyond Iran

    2026-03-10

    China has spent the past two decades investing in far deeper relationships with Iran's Arab adversaries in the region. Iran barely registers as a national security interest for China. China has more buffer than a country such as India, which is estimated to have only 25 days of reserves.

  • Why Netanyahu Chose to Strike Iran Now

    2026-03-10

    No evidence suggests that Tehran has been anywhere close to building a nuclear weapon. With several windows closing at once, Netanyahu was staring at the reality that his long-held dream to see the U.S. military bomb Iran may never happen. If the conflict ends soon, and without too many costs to Israel, Netanyahu might avoid prison.

  • Can Beijing Help Contain Washington’s War?

    2026-03-10

    China is Iran's largest oil customer and Iran's most important economic partner. Beijing purchases about 90 percent of Tehran's oil exports and accounts for roughly one-third of Iran’s total trade. For China, helping contain the conflict would protect its core interests.

  • The Trump Administration Is Driving Migrants Into Traffickers’ Hands

    2026-03-10

    The United States has been the top destination of choice for international migrants since 1970. In 2024, 61 percent of voters said that immigration was very important to their vote. Globally, human smuggling as a business could be worth $10 billion or more per year.

  • Trump’s ‘Shield’ Against Multilateralism

    2026-03-10

    The Shield of the Americas Summit has an unmistakable domestic political dimension. The administration’s focus on cartels, migration and the use of military force aligns closely with Trump's law-and-order narrative at home. The success of the initiative may depend on whether Washington can complement its security framework with credible economic incentives.

  • Russia’s European Enclave Is Its Soft Underbelly

    2026-03-10

    Kaliningrad is an armed-to-the-teeth battle post and principal naval base for Russia’s Baltic fleet. It lies more than 400 miles from Russia proper and just two to three hours by car from the major port city of Gdansk in Poland. A Russian blitz offensive from Belarus could sever it in days.

  • Why Trump Should Be Careful What He Wishes for in Cuba

    2026-03-10

    U.S. sanctions have made medical supplies in Cuba virtually impossible. Doctors could not import crucial surgical supplies or replacement parts for radiotherapy machines. The collapse of the Cuban state could lead to internal conflict, mass exodus, and expanded trafficking routes.

  • How the Iran War Hurts Thailand and Singapore

    2026-03-10

    The most immediate effects of the spiraling U.S.-Israeli war with Iran are felt in the global energy markets. As Iran responds to attacks with its own strikes, prices of oil and gas are shooting up. A 2025 report projected that countries in the region would become major importers of LNG by the end of the decade.

Politico

LRT

  • Quiz: What do you know about Lithuania’s March 11 independence day?

    2026-03-10

    Take a small quiz about the historic events of 1990. Happy independence day! Take the quiz to find out what happened in the UK in 1990. The quiz is part of our weekly Newsquiz.

  • Getting Ukraine, Moldova into EU by 2030 is Lithuania’s ‘strategic goal’ – president

    2026-03-10

    Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said membership for Ukraine and Moldova by 2030 is a strategic goal for Lithuania. He praised Moldova’s progress in implementing reforms and urged the country to continue accelerating its efforts.

  • Lithuania debates fuel price caps as oil prices rise

    2026-03-10

    Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said the government may examine possible measures to limit the impact of higher fuel costs on consumers. Finance Minister Kristupas Vaitiekūnas, however, argued that price caps would interfere with market mechanisms.

  • Lithuania coordinating visit by Trump envoy to Belarus, PM says

    2026-03-10

    Lithuanian transport companies fear Belarus could follow through on threats to confiscate trucks that have been stranded in the country since October. US President Donald Trump’s envoy to Belarus is currently being coordinated, Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said Tuesday.

  • Seimas speaker says Taiwan office decision was rushed, no plans to close it

    2026-03-10

    Lithuania was not adequately prepared for the decision to open a Taiwanese representative office in 2021, the speaker of parliament said Monday. Juozas Olekas said Lithuania also failed to coordinate sufficiently with its partners and allies.

  • Lithuania’s FM calls for curbing Russian intelligence influence in Orthodox archdiocese

    2026-03-10

    Lithuanian foreign minister says authorities should curb the activities and influence of Russia’s intelligence services within the Orthodox Church structures. However, Deividas Matulionis, national security adviser to President Gitanas Nausėda, cautioned against labelling the entire Orthodox Church in Lithuania a national security threat.

  • BlackRock to acquire €574 million stake in Lithuanian clothing resale platform Vinted

    2026-03-10

    Vinted is Europe's largest peer-to-peer marketplace for second-hand goods. It currently operates in more than 20 markets, predominantly across Europe. The company announced in January that it was making a full-scale push into the American market.

  • Lithuanian parliament starts spring session

    2026-03-10

    Lithuanian parliament begins its spring session Tuesday. More than 500 draft laws are on its agenda. President Gitanas Nausėda is expected to submit nine draft laws. 54 plenary sittings are planned during the spring session.

  • How will Iran war affect Lithuania’s economy?

    2026-03-10

    Economists say the impact is already being felt as oil, natural gas and diesel prices climb. If the conflict continues, analysts warn the effects could spread further to consumers. On Monday, global oil prices briefly reached about $118 per barrel. Fertiliser, fuel and other essential inputs are becoming more expensive. Government is seeking to delay the EU’s carbon border tax on imported fertilisers. Some exporters could benefit if global agricultural prices rise.

📊 VoxEU

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FT Markets

✍ Blogs

Paul Krugman

  • Why I Don't Speak American

    2026-03-10

    Pete Hegseth says he only speaks American. That’s why we’re facing disaster in the Persian Gulf. Marco Rubio said a few words in Spanish at a summit with Latin American leaders over the weekend. Then he said “I only speak American”

  • The Impotence of Drill, Baby, Drill

    2026-03-10

    America produces a lot of oil, substantially more than we consume. Yet the closure of the Strait of Hormuz has caused U.S. prices of oil products to soar. Self-sufficiency in oil has done nothing at all to insulate the US economy from Middle East chaos.

Šeši Nuliai

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Buliaus anatomija

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