Lithuanians will vote in the second round of the Baltic state's presidential elections on Sunday, with incumbent President Gitanas Nauseda aiming to block Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė from winning and secure another five-year term in office.
A moderate conservative, Nauzeda, 60, is a strong supporter of Ukraine, a position shared by much of the political spectrum. The popular Nauzeda has served as president since 2009, during which Lithuania has provided refuge for many fleeing repression by Russia and an authoritarian regime in neighboring Belarus.
The main duties of the president in NATO member Lithuania's political system are to oversee foreign and defense policy and act as commander-in-chief of the armed forces.
Lithuania's strategic location on NATO's eastern flank makes the relatively small country's presidency all the more important amid rising tensions between Russia and the West over the war in Ukraine.
The election comes amid growing concern about Moscow's intentions, particularly in the strategically important Baltic Sea region, due to Russia's growing influence in Ukraine.
Lithuania regained its independence in 1991 from the Soviet Union, which occupied the southernmost Baltic country for five decades, and joined the European Union and NATO in 2004.
Both candidates have openly criticized Moscow and Russia's ally, Minsk.
Nauseda, who is likely to be elected for another five-year term, is a former banker who entered politics after winning the 2019 presidential election. Both Nauseda and Simonite won the first round of voting but fell short of the 50% needed to win the presidential election outright. In the first round on May 12, Nauseda won with 44% of the vote and Simonite with around 20%.
Nauseda, who became prime minister in 2020, and Simonite also faced off in the 2019 presidential runoff election, with Nauseda winning with 66% of the vote.
The Lithuanian Central Election Commission is due to announce the election results on Monday.
