Baltic States in September 2026: the most important developments in politics
The Baltic states in September 2026 saw a presidential election in Estonia, a defence procurement scandal and diplomatic activity on Russia and nuclear deterrence.
Estonia elected human rights ombudsman Ülle Madise as its next president; a diplomat said the election was not befitting a 21st-century liberal democracy. Estonia's defence minister resigned in a national defence procurement scandal, and a new minister was expected to be named. Estonia's prime minister said the country is in talks to join France's nuclear deterrence, and on 22 September Latvia's leader said France had agreed to open talks on Latvia joining the initiative. A new centre-left pro-European party is emerging in Estonia, and the Isamaa leader accused the Social Democrats of shirking responsibility.
On Russia, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said the failed drone attack on Leipzig airport amounted to "state-sponsored terrorism" and attributed it to Russia, and Lithuania's foreign minister called on the EU to reconsider its unanimity rule on foreign and security policy. Russia summoned the EU's envoy in Moscow. Kallas also warned of a Belarusian threat to Europe. Lithuania joined a US-led critical minerals initiative, and Lithuania's abstention in a UN world map vote concerned the depiction of Crimea.
Foreign ministers gathered in Riga on 8 September, where Latvia and Armenia signed an immigration protocol. The Saeima tightened Latvia's e-identity laws. A US envoy urged Lithuania to halt development work at a Jewish cemetery in Vilnius. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda called the AfD's victory in a German state election disappointing and worrying.
by WorldBrief & Maksim Micheliov | AI-generated summary
Click a day in the chart above for that day's brief.