Nausėda says Lithuania can form division by 2030

President Gitanas Nausėda says Lithuania’s national division should be established by 2030 and that all necessary efforts are currently being made to reach the goal, LRT reported.

“The division must be created by 2030. Yes, this is an ambitious goal. Considerable effort is needed to ensure that the division is not only formed in terms of troop numbers, but is also supplied with ammunition, reserves, essential military equipment and infrastructure,” Nausėda said in a video statement released by the Presidential Palace on Tuesday.

He said the immediate priority should be strengthening the military’s practical capabilities. Responsibility for the work currently lies mainly with the Ministry of National Defence and the armed forces, he added.

Nausėda said he expected to receive more details about Lithuania’s defence capabilities and their development at a meeting of the State Defence Council on Wednesday.

During a visit to Helsinki, the president discussed with Finland’s prime minister Lithuania’s decision to purchase armoured personnel carriers from Finnish company Patria and further cooperation in the defence industry.

“Lithuania has set out a very ambitious programme to acquire 936 Patria models in different configurations to ensure the smooth creation of our national division,” Nausėda said.

Laurynas Kasčiūnas, leader of the Homeland Union Lithuanian Christian Democrats, said on Thursday that the goal of creating a fully operational Lithuanian division by 2030 might not be achieved. He said the pace of weapons procurement and delivery deadlines raised doubts.

An audit by the National Audit Office found that the share of failed weapons and military equipment procurements increased from 24 percent in 2023 to 59 percent last year. Auditors attributed this to changing requirements, unprepared operational specifications, suppliers failing to submit offers on time and prices considered unacceptable by contracting authorities.

The National Audit Office also found that decision-making in some procurements takes too long. Coordination with advisory institutions lasted between 30 and 374 days in 42 percent of the procurements assessed, although the recommended maximum duration of an international procurement process is 180 to 240 calendar days.

The Ministry of National Defence said it would submit proposals to the government in the autumn to make defence procurement processes more efficient.

In May, following a State Defence Council meeting, Nausėda announced that Lithuania planned to purchase 936 Patria 6×6 wheeled armoured vehicles for its armed forces. At the end of June, the Finnish defence company began negotiations on technology transfers and local production in Lithuania and signed a memorandum of understanding with Lithuanian defence industry company KOVO Armor.