Lithuania’s incoming foreign minister outlines regional visits and parliamentary address on foreign policy

Lithuania’s designated foreign minister, Kęstutis Budrys, will continue traveling to the country’s regions while also presenting the new government’s foreign policy priorities in the Seimas (parliament), he said in an interview with LRT’s “Dienos tema” program.

Returning from the NATO summit in Ankara, Budrys told parliament on Thursday that the government’s program would not attempt to list every threat facing Lithuania. He emphasized that NATO operates on stability, predictability, and sequential planning rather than sudden announcements.

Budrys highlighted Lithuania’s leadership in defense spending, urging other allies to join its conditional “5% club” for investment. He also underscored the importance of strengthening air defense in NATO’s eastern flank, noting the transition from air policing to air defense in the Baltics as a long-term effort.

On support for Ukraine, Budrys said Lithuania had pushed for a predictable, multi-year funding model—such as its proposed 0.25% annual contribution until 2034—but acknowledged the proposal had not yet gained traction. He described ongoing discussions as positive but clarified that decisions on troop deployments and numbers remain under U.S. command, not NATO planning.

Addressing Donald Trump’s remarks at the summit, including references to Greenland and defense funding, Budrys described NATO as a relationship “of calculated love,” where collective defense and deterrence rely on each member’s contributions—whether military, financial, or symbolic.

“Trump’s calculation is about Greenland, not European security,” Budrys added.