Budget pressure complicates Lithuania’s plans for division and conscription
Friday 30th October 2026 on 21:30 in
Lithuania
Lithuania is facing criticism over plans to introduce universal conscription for young men from 2032 as defence funding comes under pressure, LRT reported. Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas says introducing the measure now would reduce the military’s readiness and quality, while President Gitanas Nausėda has suggested the armed forces may need to save money.
The government’s proposed defence budget for next year is 5% of gross domestic product, but former defence minister Dovilė Šakalienė says the share available for military needs will amount to 4.75% after excluding 245 million euros in dual-purpose spending.
State Controller Irena Segalovičienė recently recalled that an earlier three-year plan set a 2027 defence spending target of 5.44% of GDP. If that target is not met, 400 million euros already included in procurement plans may not be provided, the report said. Kaunas said the ministry is reviewing planned purchases.
“It is obvious that we will have to save somewhere,” Kaunas said, adding that officials must weigh higher-cost options against cheaper alternatives that could deliver similar results. He said the country also needs to balance the development of its armed forces with domestic security needs.
A State Defence Council strategic plan calls for defence spending to remain between 5% and 6% of GDP through 2030. The funding is intended to help Lithuania form and fully equip a national division, prepare infrastructure for a German brigade and begin preparations for universal conscription by that year. Additional funding has also been directed towards air defence and airspace surveillance.
At a news conference after a council meeting, Nausėda discussed the cost of conscription with military chief Raimundas Vaikšnoras. After the two exchanged estimates of up to 150 million euros a year, the president said the military could “tighten its belt a little” and save money.
The defence budgets for this year and next are both below the levels previously sought. Last year, a dispute over the size of the defence budget preceded Šakalienė’s removal as minister. The government announced a budget of 5.38% of GDP for this year.