Lithuanian president to meet Merkel in Berlin with Latvian and Estonian leaders

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda will travel to Berlin on Friday to meet German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, the presidential office announced. Latvian President Edgars Rinkēvičs and Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas will also attend the meeting.

The leaders are expected to discuss preparations for next week’s NATO summit in Ankara, Turkey. Last year, NATO members agreed to increase defence spending to unprecedented levels in response to Russia’s war in Ukraine and at the urging of then-US President Donald Trump.

At the 2025 Hague summit, allies committed to allocating at least 5% of GDP to defence and security by 2035—the highest level since the Cold War. The agreement also includes investments in infrastructure alongside military spending.