Veryga says defence funding should follow needs, not percentages

Defence spending should be based on the military’s actual needs rather than an attempt to raise the percentage of gross domestic product allocated to it, Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union leader Aurelijus Veryga told LRT.

The comments came during an LRT television programme featuring Veryga and Virginijus Sinkevičius, leader of the Democratic Union For Lithuania. The discussion followed Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius’s announcement of a family support package, which is due to be presented by Social Security and Labour Minister Inga Ruginienė on Tuesday.

Veryga said that demography, like defence, should be treated as a matter of national survival. He also said that he and the prime minister had discussed maintaining defence funding at 5% of GDP, as well as strengthening internal security, including services responsible for border protection and the police.

Lithuania’s leaders have agreed to allocate at least 5% of GDP to defence until 2030. Sinkevičius said the coalition had agreed to maintain that level, while noting that the monetary value of 5% would increase if the economy and GDP grew. He said funding levels after 2030 would depend on the country’s needs at that time.

Veryga said it was not always easy to plan and use defence funding because spending depended on what could actually be purchased. The military should identify its requirements, he said, after which political leaders could decide how much funding was necessary.

“It is difficult for me to say today whether it should be more or less than 5%,” Veryga said, adding that the current position was to maintain defence funding at 5% of GDP.

Discussing security concerns related to Russia, Sinkevičius said the threat level in the region had not changed and that Lithuania had received no information suggesting a specific new threat to the country or the region. He said Lithuania should remain vigilant and consistently implement its deterrence plans.

Veryga said the war in Ukraine had already provided sufficient warning and that Lithuania should continue preparing, regardless of additional alerts. He also said that much would depend on the course of the war in Ukraine.