At the meeting with Mark Rutte, Minister of Finance emphasized: "Lithuania understands its responsibility for increased defence funding"
In Brussels, Minister of Finance Taurimas Valys, together with Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius, participated in a meeting with NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte, where he presented Lithuania’s multi-layered defence funding model and the priorities of Lithuania’s Presidency of the EU Council, with security and defence being among the key ones.
"Allocating 5.38% of GDP to defence is a huge amount for Lithuania, yet we recognize it as both a commitment and an investment in the future of all of us. As a nation on NATO’s eastern flank, we witness daily the risks that lie right across the border. We must neutralize these threats and deter any hostile actions by adversarial states; therefore, we will continue to allocate at least 5% of our GDP to defence," Taurimas Valys emphasized during the meeting.
In the Minister’s view, there is a clear trend across NATO’s eastern flank – driven by proximity to an aggressor – where allies are allocating significantly more funds to defence. "Special attention must be paid to these countries, as they face direct threats from Russia and Belarus. We are already observing increased activity from them," T. Valys highlighted.
The meeting addressed challenges of defence funding and the need to align national and European-level efforts, as well as the effective utilization of the ReArm EU and SAFE instruments.
The Minister of Finance also presented the priorities for Lithuania’s Presidency of the Council of the EU, emphasizing that Lithuania would place great importance on partnership and unity during the presidency, ensuring a resolute and united European response to major challenges in the areas of defence, security, energy, competitiveness, climate, and social protection.
Furthermore, Lithuania’s contribution to strengthening European defence capabilities and the need to continue providing timely support to Ukraine were discussed at the meeting.
Last updated: 29-09-2026
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