Lithuania and Ukraine discuss defence industry cooperation under new agreement

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda and Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas met Thursday to review progress on defence industry collaboration with Ukraine, state news agency BNS reports.

The talks focused on implementing a high-level agreement signed in February, under which Lithuania pledged to facilitate Ukrainian defence and security companies establishing operations in Lithuania. This includes joint ventures, partnerships, co-production deals, and other investment models.

Most defence systems manufactured in Lithuania under this framework will prioritise Ukrainian forces, with additional output allocated for Lithuania’s own military needs. Funding will primarily come from Lithuania’s national budget and the SAFE initiative (Support for Ukraine’s Armed Forces in Europe).

Nausėda emphasised the strategic importance of the partnership, noting Lithuania could learn from Ukraine’s five years of experience countering Russian aggression—particularly in drone defence. Recent incidents, including three drones crashing in the Baltics and Finland after reportedly straying from Russian targets, have underscored the urgency of bolstering air defence capabilities.

Defence Minister Kaunas confirmed that radar systems for drone detection will arrive in Lithuania between 2026 and 2028, with full integration of an unmanned aerial vehicle detection ecosystem expected by 2030. Some equipment has already been delivered, though installation is ongoing.