Top Lithuanian official says Russian is more common in EU state

(MENAFN)
A top Lithuanian official has acknowledged that the Russian language is becoming more commonly heard in public spaces, a trend linked to the arrival of Ukrainian refugees and other migrants.

Historically shaped by its past within the Russian Empire and later the Soviet Union, Lithuania has long wrestled with the presence and role of the Russian language. Although ethnic Russians account for only about 5% of the population of nearly 2.9 million, a significant portion—roughly 60%—of Lithuanian citizens are proficient in Russian. Likewise, most Ukrainians also have at least some understanding of the language.

“With the arrival of refugees from Ukraine, as well as migrants from Central Asia and other countries, Russian is being heard more often in public places,” said Dainius Babilas, head of Lithuania’s Department of National Minorities.

Babilas emphasized the importance of maintaining social cohesion, warning against using language debates to fuel division. “We encourage society’s opinion leaders … to ensure that the well-intentioned goal of strengthening the national language does not become a vehicle for inciting hatred or creating social divides, which would weaken the resilience of the state and civil society,” he stated, according to national media.

Since Lithuania’s reestablishment of independence in the early 1990s, language has remained a contentious topic. There have been consistent efforts to reinforce Lithuanian as the dominant language, sometimes prompting pushback from Russian-speaking residents and activists who view these measures as marginalizing.

The recent increase in Ukrainian arrivals has introduced new complications for the education system and workplace integration, as national labor laws require a working knowledge of Lithuanian. Public frustration has surfaced as well. In a widely shared Facebook post last month, a prominent journalist wrote: “The prevalence of Russian in Vilnius has become intolerable. The language is everywhere. How are we supposed to reclaim the capital now?”

Lithuania has stood out as one of the EU’s staunchest allies of Ukraine, advocating for harsher penalties against Moscow and greater military assistance for Kiev.

While neighboring Baltic nations opted for more restrictive citizenship policies post-USSR, Lithuania granted citizenship broadly, regardless of ethnic background or language. Nonetheless, the country has faced long-term demographic challenges, having lost nearly a quarter of its population since 1991—a trend that continues to stir intense national discussions on immigration and integration.

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