Kęstutis Budrys
Kęstutis Budrys is a Lithuanian diplomat and public official. He has served as Lithuania's Minister of Foreign Affairs and has represented the country in international institutions. He has been involved in shaping Lithuania's foreign policy in the context of regional security challenges.
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EU extends Ukraine sanctions for three years but drops Usmanov and Fridman, prompting Ukrainian criticism
On 22 September, the EU Council extended Ukraine-related sanctions for 36 months until 22 September 2029, the first time the regime has been renewed for three years instead of the usual six-month cycle. In the same decision, the EU removed Russian oligarchs Alisher Usmanov and Mikhail Fridman from the list. Ukraine called the delisting "shameful" and unjustified, and the Baltic states announced national sanctions in response. A day later, on 23 September, Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev pardoned French citizen Martin Ryan, who had been sentenced to ten years in prison on espionage charges that France rejects.
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NATO's top general says Alliance ready for possible Russian escalation on eastern flank
Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone, Chair of the NATO Military Committee, said on 19 September in Copenhagen that NATO is prepared to respond to a possible Russian escalation on the Alliance's eastern flank. His remarks came at a meeting of NATO's 32 top military chiefs, against a backdrop of warnings from several European countries about Russian hybrid threats and a recent spike in airspace violations and sabotage attempts.
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Russian Gerbera drone shot down over Lithuania after being diverted by Ukrainian EW
A Russian Gerbera-type drone, originally heading toward Ukraine, was diverted off course by Ukrainian electronic warfare and shot down over Lithuanian airspace on the night of September 15 by Italian NATO air-policing fighter jets — the first such drone interception in Lithuania. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda said the incident was most likely not a deliberate attack on Lithuania, but warned similar events could recur.