Budget will not delay division or conscription preparations, Sinkevičius says

Lithuania’s planned 2027 budget will not prevent the country from developing a military division on schedule or preparing properly for universal conscription, Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius said on Friday, LRT reported.

“I do not think the current funding prevents us from having a division on time and preparing properly for universal conscription,” Sinkevičius told reporters in Birštonas.

The government plans to allocate 5% of gross domestic product, or more than 4.8 billion euros, to defence next year. This year’s funding was similar in euro terms but amounted to a larger share of the economy, at about 5.38% of GDP.

Lithuania plans to develop the division by 2030, but because the budget is not growing, it expects to equip it with less modern equipment. Universal conscription is planned to begin in 2032, though some critics say it could start earlier.

“Alongside defence, we also have to take care of public safety, social policy, education policy and cultural policy,” Sinkevičius said.

Under the current draft, state budget revenue in 2027 is expected to total 22.2 billion euros, including EU funds, up 5.2% from this year. Expenditure is projected at 27.9 billion euros, an increase of 1.3%. EU and other financial support is expected to total 3.2 billion euros.