Lithuanians vote in presidential election as anxieties rise over Russia, Ukraine

Vilnius, Lithuania:Lithuanians voted in a presidential election on Sunday at a time when Russian gains on the battlefield in Ukraine are fueling great...

Vilnius, Lithuania: Lithuanians voted in a presidential election on Sunday at a time when Russian gains on the battlefield in Ukraine are fueling greater fears about Moscow’s intentions, particularly in the strategically important Baltic region.

The popular incumbent, Gitanas Nausėda, was favored to win another five-year term in office. But there were eight candidates running in all, making it difficult for him or any other candidate to muster the 50% of the votes needed to win outright on Sunday. In that case, a runoff will be held on May 26.

Polls closed at 8 p.m. local time (1700 GMT). Initial voter turnout was 59.4%, higher than in the previous election in 2019, the Central Electoral Commission said. Results were expected early Monday.

The president’s main tasks in Lithuania’s political system are overseeing foreign and security policy, and acting as the supreme commander of the armed forces.

That adds importance to the position in the relatively small nation given that it is located strategically on NATO’s eastern flank as tensions rise between Russia and the West over Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.