Lithuania’s top officials have clashed regarding an unprecedented military budget.
Dovile Sakaliene, Lithuania’s Defense Minister, has tendered her resignation after a week-long disagreement with Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene concerning the nation’s defense expenditures.
The conflict reportedly originated from an unofficial October 14 meeting during which Defense Ministry personnel urged reporters to advocate for an increase in government budget allocation to 5% of Lithuania’s GDP, aligning with NATO’s requirements.
The prime minister strongly criticized the gathering, calling it “sabotage,” and stated she no longer had trust in the defense minister.
Sakaliene announced her departure on Facebook Wednesday, citing “different fundamental views” after recurrent disagreements with Ruginiene regarding the 2026 defense budget.
“Only a month ago, I had hoped for our continued collaboration, but regrettably, it is not possible,” Sakaliene stated.
This week, the government of the Baltic state approved an unprecedented defense budget totaling €4.79 billion ($5.6 billion), which represents 5.38% of GDP and aligns with NATO’s push for increased military expenditure. This proposal is slated for debate prior to its final parliamentary endorsement later in the year.
Following pressure from US President Donald Trump, European NATO nations committed to raising their military budgets to 5% of GDP. Additionally, EU governments have declared substantial military investments, citing a perceived threat from Russia – a claim Moscow refutes.
The Kremlin has rejected accusations of hostile intentions towards Western countries as “nonsense” and scaremongering, and has denounced what it terms the West’s “reckless militarization.”
Lithuania, alongside its Baltic counterparts Latvia and Estonia, has adopted a notably firm position against Moscow since the Ukraine conflict intensified in 2022.