Lithuania’s 5% defence budget will not delay division plans, minister says

Lithuania’s planned defence spending of just over 4.8 billion euros next year, equal to 5% of gross domestic product, will not change the deadline for developing a division, but could affect the weapons acquired, Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said, LRT reported Friday.

Kaunas said the division was still expected to be developed by 2030. However, he said Lithuania may need to prioritise weapons that can be delivered quickly over the most advanced systems, some of which are still at the prototype stage.

“The plans have not changed,” he said. “But the nature and concept of how we implement them, and with what means, are constantly being reviewed.”

Kaunas said the main risk to the schedule was the defence industry’s ability to deliver equipment on time. Some projects due by the end of this year have already been delayed by coordination with factories and industry representatives, he said. New radars and weapons can take one or two years to arrive, rather than the six months Lithuania would prefer.

The government approved next year’s defence budget at just over 4.8 billion euros, or 5% of GDP. This year’s allocation is slightly lower in euros but represents a larger share of the economy, at 5.38% of GDP.

Kaunas said the planned funding was sufficient to continue ongoing work, while adding that he had hoped for a larger budget and that further funding decisions might be possible during the year. He said the government would continue to focus on air defence, including developing a unified air defence system.

Officials agreed in January last year to develop a division in response to the increased threat from Russia, with a commitment to allocate 5% to 6% of GDP to defence from 2026 to 2030. Some critics have said the commitment is not being met and that the plans could be delayed.