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The Russian invasion of Ukraine sparked a rally-around-the-flag effect in Lithuania as the tiny Baltic state offered refuge to dissidents fleeing violence and oppression in neighbouring Belarus and Russia. But new restrictions on migrants threaten Lithuania’s liberal values.
Ukrainian flags and colourful war-themed murals have sprung up in almost every neighbourhood in the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, testimony to an indomitable spirit of resistance against a common enemy.
Since Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Lithuania has been at the forefront of Western support to Kyiv. Ordinary citizens were particularly active, organising crowd-funding campaigns to buy military equipment and hosting refugees from Ukraine.
The sympathy for Ukraine also extended to government, when, for instance, the Lithuanian parliament on April 6 unanimously approved a resolution proposing an invitation to Ukraine to join NATO.
The fear of a new Russian aggression against its own territory has created a rally-around-the-flag effect in Lithuania. With the war in Ukraine grinding on, the small Baltic nation of 2.7 million citizens is closing ranks against possible threats from neighbouring Russia. Lithuania fought to regain its independence in 1990 after 50 years of Soviet occupation; it was previously independent from 1918 to 1940.
While Russian imperialism fears are running high again in Lithuania, the response to security concerns has raised concerns over a backsliding on the country’s cherished liberal values.
‘Security issues have become very relevant’
Back in 2020, Lithuania granted visas to thousands of Belarusians fleeing a crackdown in the neighbouring state following the August 2020 presidential election, which was widely seen as fraudulent, sparking massive protests.
Vilnius also became the de-facto headquarters of the Belarusian…
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