„It is gratifying to hear that U.S. representatives are holding up Lithuania as an example for other countries: this year alone, we are allocating 5.38 per cent of GDP to defence—the highest percentage among NATO countries,“ Aleksa stated in a press release from the Ministry of National Defence (MND).
As the ministry reported on Saturday, the deputy minister participated in the Miami Security Forum organised by the U.S. think tank Heritage Foundation. During a roundtable discussion, he presented the evolution of Lithuania’s defence funding — from one of the smallest to the largest defence budgets among NATO allies.
In addition, Aleksa presented ambitious goals for developing the Lithuanian Armed Forces’ capabilities, which will require long-term commitments to defence investment.
The speech also emphasised the need to ensure transparency in all processes, as well as public support and confidence in decisions regarding the use of defence spending.
As reported by the Deputy Minister of National Defence, during his visit to the U.S., he also travelled to Washington, D.C., where he met with representatives from the Pentagon, Congress, the Defence Security Cooperation Agency, and think tanks.
Discussions focused primarily on the security situation, the U.S. military presence in Europe and Lithuania, ensuring airspace defence, the procurement of weapons and equipment from the U.S., and support for Ukraine.
During his visit to the U.S. Department of Defence, the Deputy Minister met with Daniel Zimmerman, Assistant Secretary of Defence for International Security Affairs, and Dr Christopher Bassler, Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary of Defence for Strategy and Force Development.
At the meeting, the Deputy Minister highlighted Lithuania’s progress, including rising defence spending, the development of a national division, and an expanded host-nation support package for U.S. troops stationed in our country, and also stressed the need for more active cooperation to ensure airspace security.
„U.S. support for the Baltic states creates mutual benefits by ensuring the opportunity to acquire American products. Today, Lithuania’s purchases from the U.S. have already exceeded USD 2 billion. Modern weaponry and equipment, such as JLTV infantry fighting vehicles, Black Hawk helicopters, AMRAAM missiles, Javelin anti-tank missile systems, HIMARS rocket artillery systems, and Switchblade drones, ensure the rapid and effective modernisation of the Lithuanian Armed Forces and contribute to the security of NATO’s Eastern flank,“ stated Aleksa.
ELTA notes that in 2026, the defence budget will increase to a total of EUR 4.79 billion, or 5.38% of gross domestic product (GDP)—all of which is allocated to the Ministry of National Defence.