Standing up to bullies: Lithuania’s playbook for surviving economic warfare, and what Canada can learn

https://i.cbc.ca/ais/d6e0ed62-adca-441f-9c18-6ade454a3290,1777063350172/full/max/0/default.jpg?im=Crop%2Crect%3D%280%2C228%2C4366%2C2455%29%3BResize%3D%28620%29" title="People carry a giant Lithuanian flag during a celebration for the 36th anniversary of Lithuania's independence from the Soviet Union in Vilnius, Lithuania, Wednesday, March 11, 2026. (AP Photo/Mindaugas Kulbis)" width="620" />

Once a target of Russian and Chinese economic coercion, Lithuania has turned pressure into policy.

By rapidly diversifying trade, severing energy ties with Moscow and investing in defence and tech, the Baltic state built resilience and saw growth.

Its experience now offers Canada a cautionary, and increasingly relevant, roadmap.