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 of politicizing the conflict to serve personal agendas and argued for the defeat of Israel's Arab neighbours who, according to ISIL, "surround [Israel] the same way a bracelet surrounds the wrist, protecting the Jews from the strikes of the mujahideen." China has historically supported an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital, and said that this position remains unchanged in the aftermath of Trump's announcement. Following the announcement, Chinese state media aired lengthy broadcasts emphasizing Palestinian opposition to it and lack of support for the move among America's European allies. Chinese news reports also stressed the risk of