Political parties in Lithuania are discussing the possibility of signing a new cross-party agreement on national defence, LRT reports. Opposition parties are pushing for a commitment to maintain defence spending above 5% of GDP after 2030. However, the ruling Social Democratic Party of Lithuania (LSDP) insists that there is no need for such an agreement. Earlier, Lithuania’s State Defence Council (VGT) agreed to allocate 5-6% of GDP to defence in 2026-2030, BNS reported. Lithuania’s auditor general, Irena Segaloviciene, called for a commitment in the country’s national security strategy to spend more than 5% of GDP on defence until at least 2035. In 2018, parties agreed to increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP. LSDP, which was in opposition at the time, refused to support the agreement. Nevertheless, the deal was renewed after Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. President Gitanas Nauseda has urged parties to renew the defence pact.
Headlines