Belarus President Lukashenko Sparks Outrage with Comments About Lithuanians

Baltic media condemned remarks made by Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko as offensive toward Lithuanians.

During a recent meeting in Krasnopolye focused on the socio-economic development of the Mogilev region's southeast, Lukashenko criticized officials for failing to meet his directives.

While addressing economic performance, he made a controversial remark suggesting that improved indicators had proven a point to Lithuanians and others, using language widely regarded as derogatory.

"And what political benefit is there [from improved economic indicators]? We've wiped the nose for those Labus and other assholes," Lukashenko said.

Historical Context of the Controversial Term

Delfi described the statement as insulting and reminded readers that the term used by Lukashenko dates back to the Soviet era as a pejorative reference to Lithuanians. The word originates from the Lithuanian greeting "labas,” meaning "hello.”

Rising Defense Spending in the Baltic Region

At the same time, Lithuania has significantly increased its military spending. Between 2014 and 2025, defense expenditures rose by 537.4 percent, reaching $2.9 billion annually.

This accounts for approximately 4 percent of the country's GDP, placing Lithuania at the top among NATO members in terms of defense spending growth, according to the latest annual report by NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte.

Latvia ranked second with a 369.4 percent increase, bringing its defense budget to $1.46 billion, or 3.74 percent of GDP. Luxembourg followed with a 359.6 percent rise to $1.2 billion, or 2.13 percent of GDP.

Denmark and Poland also appeared among the top five, with defense spending increases of 265.1 percent and 241 percent respectively. Poland recorded the highest share of GDP devoted to defense at 4.3 percent.