Kasčiūnas warns Lithuanian division may miss 2030 capability

Opposition conservative leader Laurynas Kasčiūnas has warned that Lithuania’s national military division may fail to reach full operational capability by 2030, as planned, LRT reported.

He said the pace of defence procurement and the schedule for weapons deliveries raised doubts about meeting the target.

“It may be that by the end of 2026 we will have to acknowledge that the plan will not succeed and sit down together to see what we can do to make it work,” Kasčiūnas told reporters on Thursday.

He said the defence minister would present amendments to Parliament aimed at simplifying public procurement procedures in the defence sector. Kasčiūnas said conservatives would support the amendments but questioned whether they would lead to the actual creation of the required capabilities.

Kasčiūnas also raised concerns about borrowing for defence needs. He said an European Union exemption allowing Lithuania to borrow more cheaply would expire in 2028 and asked whether the government or finance minister was seeking to extend it.

Lithuania’s First Division was established last year and is intended to be fully developed by 2030. The division is planned to include about 20,000 troops, three land-force brigades named Iron Wolf, Žemaitija and Aukštaitija, as well as artillery and engineering regiments and a reconnaissance battalion.

The government of Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius has pledged in its programme to seek full operational capability for the national division by 2030.