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Lituânia: drones, bunkers e turbulência política em análise
Incursão de drones na Lituânia paralisou a capital e levou líderes a refugiarem-se num bunker. Ursula von der Leyen promete resposta europeia com “unidade e firmeza”
LEIA MAIS : http://pt.euronews.com/2026/05/21/lituania-drones-abrigos-e-turbulencia-politica
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Incursão de drones na Lituânia paralisou a capital e levou líderes a refugiarem-se num bunker. Ursula von der Leyen promete resposta europeia com “unidade e firmeza”
LEIA MAIS : http://pt.euronews.com/2026/05/21/lituania-drones-abrigos-e-turbulencia-politica
Subscreva, euronews está disponível em 12 línguas.
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00:17Marete Gwynne
00:55Marete Gwynne
01:00The US has signaled it will reduce the capabilities it makes available to NATO as it pivots to priorities elsewhere.
01:09Also, world leaders have summoned Israeli envoys after Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gavir shared a video showing him
01:19taunting handcuffed activists from the Gaza-bound aid flotilla.
01:24Italy and France have described the scenes as, quote, intolerable.
01:29We'll bring you the details
01:31But first, to our top story this morning
01:34The Baltics have been rattled by repeated drone incursions in recent weeks
01:39The latest being an incursion into Lithuania on Wednesday
01:43For more on this story, I'm joined on set by our EU correspondent, Angela Skujins
01:48Good morning, Angela
01:49First of all, bring us up to speed on what exactly happened in Lithuania yesterday
01:54Good morning, Madrid
01:55So to put it bluntly, the Baltics are on high alert, tenterhooks regarding, as you rightly pointed out, what exactly
02:02happened
02:02So at 10am, civilians received a text message telling them that they should seek shelter immediately with their families
02:10The airports were ground to a halt as well as civilian traffic
02:14The Prime Minister and the President were also shuttled to a bunker underground
02:18While officials above ground scrambled to try and figure out what was going on in their skies
02:24The security incident only lasted for one hour
02:27At roughly 11am, the alert was lifted
02:30And our general understanding is that a drone entered Lithuanian airspace from the border along Belarus
02:37But it's also really important to point out that this is not a freak incident
02:40If we can take a look at this map here
02:42We can see that there have been at least six drone incursion or suspected drone incursions
02:48Since the beginning of May occurring over the skies of Latvia, Finland, Lithuania as well as Estonia
02:55We believe that most of these drones are Ukrainian in origin
03:00However, have been pushed into European airspace via Moscow GPS jamming
03:05And given all this, Angela, what happens next and what's been the reaction from Lithuania?
03:10Yes, so we know that the European Union have been trumpeting for at least a year
03:16That according to national security services
03:19That foreign agents such as Russia could be ready to attack the continent by 2030
03:25This is why the EU have pumped a whopping 800 billion euros into beefing up the EU's defences
03:31Particularly that 3,500 kilometre border along the east
03:37The big question here, however, is whether the EU can stay one step ahead of Moscow
03:41We've seen that they've become incredibly creative when it comes to sowing panic
03:46Creating division within the Baltics as well as the EU member states
03:50When it comes to supporting Ukraine
03:52I managed to speak with the Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertos Kaunas this morning
03:57And the first question I asked him was whether Moscow was successful creating the panic
04:03Yesterday, Lithuania experienced a drone incursion into our airspace
04:08But our armed forces radars detected the drone's type object, let's say
04:15Before it crossed into Lithuanian airspace
04:19So we may be able to detect it earlier
04:22NATO Air Police mission was activated
04:26So two Portuguese fighter jets stranded to intercept the drone
04:32It's important to emphasize actually how crucial that NATO Air Police mission is in the Baltic states
04:41And here I would like to express my sincere appreciation to all NATO countries participating in this mission
04:51People were alerted about the need to go to the shelters
04:56And here no panic were detected
05:00Everyone were calm
05:01The response I think was timely
05:07This is the new actually reality what Baltic states face
05:10So we need to adapt because possible repeating of similar scenarios is very high
05:19Well, NATO eastern flank countries actually facing all NATO eastern flank countries facing similar accidents
05:28And NATO airspace has been violated multiple times in recent days
05:35So we managed to react on time correctly
05:41But we need to increase and enhance our airspace defence
05:46Minister, you mentioned there that there was no panic
05:49However, the Lithuanians that I've spoken to sound quite emotional
05:54Recounting the stories of yesterday
05:56How are you going to reassure them that Lithuania is safe?
06:00Lithuania is a member of the NATO alliance
06:04We have a strong commitment from our allies that we are not alone
06:12And NATO Air Police mission is here
06:15Additionally, we are investing a lot in our air defence capabilities
06:20New radars are coming
06:21Part of them are already in Lithuania
06:24Interceptor drones
06:27Air defence experts from Ukraine arriving to Lithuania
06:32To help us enhance our air defence capabilities
06:35But Minister, you mentioned all of this technology to repel Russian drones
06:41They're cheap
06:42We know this
06:43But how confident are you that Lithuania can repel real Russian aggression
06:48When and if it comes we're talking about tanks rolling across the border?
06:53Our investment to our national defence needs is 5.38% of GDP
06:59So it's the highest volume among all NATO countries
07:04So we are doing our homeworks
07:08That was Lithuania's Defence Minister Rupertas Kaunas there
07:12Now, the European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen has vowed a response following the incident
07:19For more, I'm joined on set by our correspondent Sasha Vakulina
07:22Good morning, Sasha
07:23First, tell us, what can the EU actually do in response to this threat?
07:28Well, the first thing Brussels tried to do was to reassure the Baltic states and Lithuania
07:33That the EU will stand up and respond and protect them
07:36Let's take a listen, take a look at what the President of the Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, had to
07:41say
07:41She said Russia's public threats against our Baltic states are completely unacceptable
07:47Let there be no doubt a threat against one member state is a threat against our entire union
07:54But Merit, these Russia's threats towards the Baltic states are not new
07:58They are coming there for years
08:00And it is actually enough to just follow the official Kremlin statements
08:04Or even Russian state-controlled media
08:06On daily basis, threatening the Baltic states
08:09Threatening Brussels, threatening Berlin or even London very openly
08:14Also, at the same time, just earlier this week
08:16Russia's foreign intelligence agency issued open threats to the Baltics
08:22Under the false claims of them
08:23Allegedly providing their airspace for Ukrainian droads
08:27Now, these claims have been categorically denied by both the Baltic states and Kyiv
08:31And Sasha, it seems that some countries are not only more vulnerable to this
08:35But are also more prepared than others
08:37Definitely, some of them have done more of a homework, so to say
08:41Specifically starting from 2022 and Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine
08:46And one of these countries is Poland
08:48Now, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that
08:51These attacks and this incident are part of coordinated provocation by Moscow
08:57Let's take a listen to what he had to say
09:04I have warned many months ago and also several weeks ago
09:09That the situation could escalate
09:11Not only regarding the Ukrainian-Russian war
09:13But across the entire eastern flank
09:16The Russian-Ukrainian war and Russia's aggressive policy towards Ukraine
09:20And its neighbours could soon lead to situations requiring a firm response
09:31Together with Warsaw, stock warnings were issued also by Kyiv
09:34Early on the 15th of May, President Zelensky said
09:36That their Ukrainian foreign intelligence also has the information
09:40That Russia is effectively trying to drag Belarus more into its war against Ukraine
09:47But also against possibly other countries like the Baltic states
09:50Okay, Sasha, thank you so much for that analysis
09:55We're moving on now
09:56The divisive legacy of former German Chancellor Angela Merkel
10:00Was under the spotlight this week when she received an European Order of Merit
10:05But what impression is the current Chancellor Friedrich Merz making
10:10One year after he took the reins?
10:13Our Jakob Janis takes a look
10:17One year into Friedrich Merz's chancellorship
10:19The honeymoon is long gone
10:21And much of the damage is self-inflicted
10:24He recently chose the bold strategy of scolding Germany's workforce
10:28For taking too many sick days
10:31Dismissing part-time jobs as a lazy lifestyle choice
10:34And even telling Germans to look to Greece to learn how to work hard
10:38A staggering historical plot twist from a leader whose country spent years lecturing Europe on efficiency, isn't it?
10:45Huh, so what went wrong?
10:49A year ago, Merz promised a conservative pro-market renewal
10:52But his center-right and center-left coalition is paralyzed by internal fighting
10:56Germany's economic recovery has completely stalled
11:00With growth projections for this year
11:02Halved to just 0.5%
11:04And voters are furious over high energy costs
11:08Heavy taxes
11:09An upcoming 4 billion euro cut to the public pension system
11:12And internationally, a public swipe at Donald Trump over Iran backfired badly
11:18With the US president claiming Merz doesn't know what he's talking about
11:22And with the planned withdrawal of 5,000 US troops from Germany
11:27Vital long-term security agreements look now a bit shaky
11:30According to the recent survey, Merz is now the most unpopular democratically elected leader in the world
11:37And a staggering 76% of Germans disapprove of his performance
11:41But to be fair to Merz, his job isn't easy
11:45His coalition holds a tiny parliamentary majority of just 12 seats
11:50And with his CDU party dropping to just 23% in the polls
11:54He looks more and more isolated
11:56Allowing the far-right AFD to take the lead ahead of critical state elections this autumn
12:02Merz has always been seen as a man of business
12:05He promised the German people he would get the economy back on track
12:09But so far, he's offering them nothing but economic tough love
12:13And longer working weeks
12:14And if his voters do not see economic results soon
12:17They'll send Merz into retirement
12:20And given his notorious comments about how glad he was to escape the Amazon
12:24After last year's climate summit in Brazil
12:27It is safe to assume he won't be choosing to spend that time off in Berlin
12:37Jakob Janis reporting there
12:39Now, today, NATO foreign ministers are in Sweden
12:43For a two-day meeting ahead of the leaders' summit in Ankara in July
12:47On the agenda, the urgent need to ramp up the production of weapons
12:52Also high on minds is the US decision to cut its commitment to the alliance
12:57Even in wartime
12:59Our correspondent, Shona Murray, is here with me
13:02Good morning, Shona
13:03Good to see you
13:04First, tell us more about what the US is actually announcing
13:07And how it may impact NATO
13:10Indeed
13:10So we know that over the past few weeks
13:12We heard Donald Trump saying he's removing 5,000 troops from Germany
13:15Instead, he cut a brigade that was due to deploy to Poland
13:18So that's not what this is
13:19He's not removing soldiers per se from NATO territory
13:22You still have around 70,000 or so
13:24What this is, is the United States shrinking the pool of resources
13:28Available to NATO during a time of war or an invasion
13:32So essentially within NATO, we have this framework called the NATO force model
13:36That deals with deterrence and defense capabilities
13:39Particularly in times of war
13:40The United States is saying we're taking away some of what can be activated
13:45If there was an invasion
13:46So this is a structural and quite fundamental
13:49Take a listen to J.D. Vance, the vice president
13:51We're not talking about pulling every single American troop out of Europe
13:56We're talking about shifting some resources around
13:59In a way that maximizes American security
14:01I don't think that's bad for Europe
14:03That's encouraging Europe to take more ownership
14:06The United States cannot be the policeman of the world
14:09Now he's saying that they're shifting it around
14:11But they actually are reducing it and shrinking what can be available
14:14But I think the point that he also made there is important
14:17Is that the European allies have stepped up in capabilities in these areas
14:21So Mark Rutte, the NATO Secretary General
14:23Is saying that we've engaged with the United States about this
14:26So there won't be capability gaps per se
14:28But it is a fundamental shift, Marit
14:30And at the same time, Shauna, concerns that the US has been burning through weapons stockpiles
14:35And that could potentially leave gaps for Europe
14:38Well, the estimation is about a billion dollars a day is being spent on the war in Iran
14:42And what's happening is the United States is, like you said, expending or burning through
14:45Very highly critical munitions
14:48Including Patriot Air Defense Missile Systems
14:50Which are very expensive and very hard to produce
14:53The knock-on effect could be that
14:55The Europeans, which are purchasing a lot of these weapons
14:58For use on the battlefield in Ukraine
15:00That they won't be available
15:01Because the production can't keep up with the pace of the usage in Iran
15:06And as we see, the Iran war has not really shown any signs of abating
15:10So the problem right now
15:11Well, right now we know the deliveries are being made to Ukraine, more or less
15:15But within the next few months, if this war continues
15:18That won't be the case
15:19So here at Sweden today, you'll hear from Mark Rubio
15:21US Secretary of State
15:22Saying that the production needs to be ramped up even more
15:24And before the war in Iran, it was pretty bad
15:27So it could get far worse, Marid
15:29Okay, Sean, I will keep an eye out, of course
15:31On that meeting happening in Sweden during the day
15:34But we're moving on now
15:36The European Union is banning nudification apps
15:40Which use AI to undress individuals without their consent
15:44Our Europe editor, Maria Tadeo, spoke to the EU's Commissioner for Tech
15:49Hena Virkunen
15:50And started by asking her if she had concerns that the move could prompt criticism from the US
15:58When it comes to that kind of nudification apps
16:00We clearly, we are banning them in the European Union
16:03So it's part of our AI Act and trial of negotiations
16:07We concluded two weeks ago with the co-legislators
16:10That we decided that we are banning that kind of nudification apps in the European Union
16:14Do you fear any backlash, just finally, on this from the US?
16:17As a result of this, keep it in mind
16:19However, no one has consented to this
16:21I think that these are very common concerns globally now
16:25When technology is taking a bigger role
16:26That what kind of risks it's also posing
16:29And many countries are looking towards Europe
16:31That what kind of measures we are taking here
16:33Because with our Digital Services Act
16:35With our Digital Markets Act
16:37And with our AI Act
16:38We have really also set a global benchmark
16:40That we want, that we have a digital environment
16:43Which is safe and fair and democratic
16:45And we are enforcing these rules
16:47And at the same time, we want to encourage innovations and investments in this area
16:51But we want that people can trust those technologies
16:55And you can see Maria's full interview with Commissioner Virkunen on Euronews.com
17:00But now, several European countries have expressed outrage
17:04After Israel's National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gavir
17:08Shared a video showing him taunting activists
17:12From an aid flotilla headed for Gaza
17:15Among them, European citizens
17:17Georgia Meloni, the Italian Prime Minister, has reacted
17:21She said, it is intolerable that these protesters
17:25Among whom there are many Italian citizens
17:27Are subjected to this treatment
17:29Which violates human dignity
17:31We demand an apology
17:33Now, earlier this week
17:35The Israeli government had accused the flotilla
17:38Of breaching international law
17:39And of being a, quote, PR stunt
17:42At the service of Hamas
17:44But Ben-Gavir's actions
17:45Have attracted rare criticism
17:48From the Israeli government
17:49Including the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu
17:52Who said, Israel has every right
17:56To prevent provocative flotillas
17:58Of Hamas terrorist supporters
17:59From entering our territorial waters
18:02And reaching Gaza
18:03However, the way that Minister Ben-Gavir
18:06Dealt with the flotilla activists
18:08Is not in line with Israel's values and norms
18:12While our correspondent, Vincenzo Genovese
18:16Spoke to MEP Benedetta Scuderi
18:19In Strasbourg
18:20Where the European Parliament sits this week
18:21And asked for her reaction
18:24We're seeing these horrible videos
18:26Of the activists being beaten
18:28Being forced to be on their knees
18:31Being basically tortured
18:33With a minister of a state
18:36That we have a lot of relationship with
18:39Shouting on them
18:40So, as Europe
18:41We need to have a strong stand
18:43That means that we really need to stop
18:46The association agreement with Israel
18:48According to Article 2
18:50Because there's a clear violation
18:52Of human rights for Palestinians
18:54And there's a clear violation
18:55Of any kind of law and legality
18:57That is now starting to affect
18:59Also European citizens
19:01And this is unacceptable
19:03And that brings today's episode to an end
19:05Thank you so much for starting your day
19:07With us here on Europe Today
19:09And if you have tips, feedback
19:11Or questions for us
19:13Do get in touch
19:13We'd love to hear from you
19:15You can email us at
19:16EuropeToday at Euronews.com
19:18We'll be back again tomorrow
19:20With more news and analysis for you
19:22See you then
19:32We'll be back again tomorrow
19:52I'll see you then
19:58Bye
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