Vilnius Its Jewish influence has led to it being described as the "Jerusalem of Lithuania" and Napoleon named it "the Jerusalem of the North" as he was passing through in 1812. In 2009, Vilnius was the European Capital of Culture, together with the Austrian city of Linz. The name of the city originates from the Vilnia River. The city has also been known by many derivate spellings in various languages throughout its history: "Vilna" was once common in English. The most notable non-Lithuanian names for the city include: , , , , , , ("Vilne"). A Russian name from the time
United States recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel the embassy dedication ceremony on 14 May 2018 included the Trump administration's officials Steven Mnuchin, Ivanka Trump, and Jared Kushner as well as Robert Jeffress and John Hagee. Congressmen from both parties praised the move; Democratic Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer said the move was "long overdue". Republican Senators Lindsey Graham and Ted Cruz traveled to Jerusalem to attend the U.S. Embassy opening. The relocation happened during an escalation of the Gaza border protests and caused international condemnation. United States recognition of Jerusalem as capital of Israel On December 6, 2017, US President Donald Trump announced the United States recognition