DISINFO: Lithuania's president is the EU's puppet, Lithuania is not sovereign
SUMMARY
Lithuania’s policy towards Belarus is ambiguous. On the one hand, the Lithuanian leadership criticises Belarus. On the other hand, its economy is very dependent on Belarusian tourists. Without them, Lithuania’s membership of the EU would probably not last for a year. Lithuania can be named the country without a president, because its president is a puppet of the EU’s government. Lithuanians have lost their sovereignty due to the irresponsible actions of their government.
RESPONSE
This publication is consistent with recurring pro-Kremlin narratives about lost sovereignty and socio-economic degradation in the Baltic countries. Lithuania is an independent state, which makes sovereign decisions about its foreign and domestic policy. Its president is not the EU's, or any foreign country's, puppet. 2019 statistics show that the Baltic states demonstrated one of the leading economic growth indicators in the EU. The dynamics within the last years can be seen here. The publication greatly exaggerates Lithuania's economy reliance on Belarusian tourists. The total contribution of tourism was estimated to amount to 4.9% of GDP in 2018. Tourists from Belarus are outnumbered by Polish, Russian, and German visitors, official statistics show. See earlier disinformation cases alleging that the US is occupying the EU and the Baltic countries nearly lost their statehood, that Lithuania is NATO's dog barking at Belarus and Russia, that Lithuania is temporarily NATO-occupied territory ruled by non-Lithuanians, that Lithuania is a "typical dying young democracy", and that the Baltic states are dying because they chose not to be with Russia.