Lithuania PM says impact must be assessed before ending Russian-language services

2026-08-05
BNS/TBT Staff

VILNIUS - Authorities must assess the impact on specific groups before discontinuing services in Russian, Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius said on Wednesday.

"I do not have a clear and strict answer right now on whether we should or should not (provide services in Russian)," the prime minister told reporters in Vilnius.

"If this were to affect Russian citizens, the answer would probably be one thing, but if it concerns freedom fighters who fled the Belarusian regime and may not know another language, or Ukrainians, then the perspective changes somewhat," Sinkevicius added.

The remarks follow an announcement by Vilnius City Municipality on Tuesday that it would no longer accept written applications or complaints in Russian. Information in Russian and other non-European Union languages would only be provided orally if a specific employee speaks the language.

The prime minister noted that it remained unclear whether the decision was based on principle or served as a political and communication move. Virginijus Sinkevicius, chairman of the Democrats, also said the municipality's decision was not fully transparent in its motives.

According to the municipality, Russian has also been removed from its website and the administration's queue management system.

Vilnius Mayor Valdas Benkunskas said the municipality is consistently implementing a decision reached in the spring to strengthen the use of the state language. Russian has also been removed from the municipal website and queue management systems.

The municipality is simultaneously expanding Lithuanian language learning opportunities for residents of foreign origin. Free courses and remote training are expected to reach more than 1,000 people this year, with an additional 300,000 euros allocated for the purpose. Language clubs are set to launch in Vilnius this autumn, and a dedicated platform for independent Lithuanian language study for foreigners is planned by the end of the year.