„The US Baltic Security Initiative is a long-standing program that has been and continues to be truly beneficial to the development of our national defence (...). We were aware of this (plans to reduce support – ELTA), but it is a matter of US domestic policy. There is a debate between Donald Trump and Congress about the operation of this program,“ Matulionis told reporters on Friday.
„We would very much like this program to continue, but we will see how things turn out in the end. Congress is quite determined, but we should understand that our top priority today is to keep American troops in Lithuania. That is why we are focusing on that,“ the senior adviser added.
Earlier, Vaidotas Urbelis, Director of Defence Policy at the Ministry of National Defence (MND), said that Lithuania has not yet received an official letter about a possible reduction in US military support. However, according to him, Washington has already informed European countries about this.
ELTA recalls that The Washington Post reported that the US intends to terminate military aid to countries bordering Russia – under this program, funding is also allocated to the Baltic states. The Financial Times also wrote about these changes.
Western media reported that US administration officials informed European diplomats last week of Washington's decision to halt funding for programs training and equipping the armed forces of Eastern European countries bordering Russia.
According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office, between 2018 and 2022, the U.S. allocated USD 1.6 billion to the program in Europe, with Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia as the primary beneficiaries.
The Trump administration wants Europe to take on a greater role in its own defence. The decision to reduce support for countries close to Russia was announced at a time when the US president is declaring efforts to end Russia's war in Ukraine.