An Assessment

Lithuania's President considers Putin.

"The Dancing Diplomat"

John Boehner's account of his visit to Lithuania.

More here.

(Today, US tanks arrived in the Baltics, as promised.)

Victory Day

Former Soviet republics reject symbols that celebrate the seventieth anniversary of Victory Day.

ADDED: Enjoy some humor.

"If I wanted, in two days I could have Russian troops not only in Kiev, but also in Riga, Vilnius, Tallinn, Warsaw and Bucharest[.]"

Said Putin.

"Sanctions invite Putin agression."

Says Lithuania's President Dalia Grybauskaitė.

"[W]e are closest neighbors, so we know our neighbor very well."

Politicians should avoid photo ops on tanks.

Lithuanian President Dalia Grybauskaitė took a ride on a tank today during NATO exercises. The tank was part of a "demonstration that involved approximately 2,000 Soldiers from Denmark, Poland, Lithuania and the U.S. in a dynamic display that demonstrated allies working together in a cohesive operating environment."

What's the story here?*  Grybauskaitė erroneously called the "Leopard" tank a "Tiger."

*No, she does not "look, in the tank, wearing the helmet, like Rocky the Flying Squirrel."

Memories surface.

"'We see NATO airplanes, we hear them, and it reassures us a little - but will they protect us? I've been a peaceful person all my life, but now the thoughts keep bubbling up: What if…?'"

Presidential Palace

Vilnius, Lithuania, August 2011. Today's post about Steven Tyler's visit to Vilnius reminded me of the image of the Presidential Palace my Toronto Cousin took when she visited Lithuania.

Thanks to my Toronto Cousin for making this photo available to us.

Here's another reason why I like Steven Tyler.

Aerosmith is performing this week in Vilnius. While sightseeing in the city, the band paused in front of the Lithuanian White House. Steven Tyler stopped there to sing with some musicians.

Later, Tyler toured the White House and met with President Grybauskaitė ("We saw you around palace, and we decided to catch you").

Charming!

It's election day in Lithuania.

Did you notice?

"Grybauskaite can afford sticking with a small campaign with hardly any posters or TV ads. As the current president, she has the stage whenever she wants. Critics used to accuse her of not mingling with the population enough. So, in the past year, she spent more time with everyday people. During the traditional Uzgavenes carnival in February, she toured the sausage and pancakes booths and posed with dressed-up partiers and teenagers."

More photos here.

Maneuvers

"Russian army holds exercises on Polish and Lithuanian borders."

So, there.

President Dalia Grybauskaitė will not attend Sochi Olympics.

The "Citizenship Exception"

Lithuania grants citizenship to an American ice dancer. President Dalia Grybauskaitė's decree makes the skater, Isabella Tobias, eligible to compete for Team Lithuania with her partner, Deividas Stagniūnas, at the Sochi Olympic Games.

"Under existing laws, citizenship by exception can be granted by the president to individuals for special merits, given that they have been integrated with the Lithuanian society."

Rattling

"Russian political scientist: If NATO attacks Syria, Russia should occupy Baltic States."

Will the subject arise when President Obama meets today with the presidents of the three Baltic republics?

Energy Politics in Lithuania

"Energy is always geopolitics."

Today is big day in Lithuania.

It's July 1, and today Lithuania assumes the presidency of the Council of the European Union. The country will hold that position for the next six months.

(By the way: the Lithuanian word for July, "Liepos," means "linden tree.")

Judo Lady?

"Get ready to hear more about the Judo-loving president of Lithuania dubbed the 'Iron Lady' for her harsh austerity measures used to yank the Baltic state out of economic disaster without any outside help."

"It's complicated."

Presidential politics and diplomacy are the topics of opinion pieces in Lithuania, too.