ILNIUS, Lithuania (AP) – Lithuania has decided to raise its spending on defense to between 5% and 6% of overall national economic output starting in 2026 due to the threat of Russian aggression in the region, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said Friday.
The Baltic nation, which borders Russia, currently spends a bit over 3%. With the president’s pledge, it becomes the first NATO nation to vow to reach a 5% goal recently called for by U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
Nauseda said the “historic decision” was taken by the State Defense Council on Friday to achieve that level from 2026 to 2030.
“The possibility of Russian military aggression is still real, but not imminent. We need to increase our efforts to strengthen defense and deterrence significantly, devoting more resources to this end,” Nauseda told reporters after the meeting in the Lithuanian capital,…
