In particular, Lithuania plans to double its defense spending, increasing it from 5% to 6% from 2026 until at least 2030, as stated by the country's Foreign Minister, Kęstutis Budrys, in an interview with the newspaper.
According to him, Lithuania will finance this sharp increase (from the current 2.9%) through government borrowing and, as he hopes, through common European defense financial instruments, as well as potential "reductions in the public sector."
Following Vilnius, Tallinn has also decided to raise its defense spending. Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas announced the allocation of 5% of GDP, which is 3.7% more than the current expenditure.
As reported by European officials, NATO is planning to raise its unofficial defense spending target from the current 2% to 3% or 3.5% in response to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the aggressor state, Russia.
Among the 32 member countries of the Alliance, only 23 met the target of 2% last year.
At the same time, U.S. President Donald Trump has called for defense spending to be increased to 5%. According to the FT, only a few NATO countries supported this figure, primarily Poland, which spends over 4% on its national defense within the Alliance.