Lithuania's auditor general suggests fixing military spending above 5% beyond 2030
Lithuania's Auditor General Irena Segalovičienė has proposed that the country legally commit to defence spending exceeding 5% of GDP beyond 2030 to prevent future governments from cutting the military budget.
Auditor General Irena Segalovičienė argues that Lithuania should commit to spending more than 5% of its gross domestic product on defence beyond 2030 to prevent future governments from reducing the military budget. She proposed enshrining this target in the country's strategic documents, noting that audits show elevated defence funding will remain necessary well into the next decade to maintain the strengthened security posture.
Segalovičienė said the National Security Strategy should require defence spending of more than 5% of GDP until at least 2035. "The state has decided to increase its security and truly elevate the national defence system from one level to another. We must have clear strategic patience so that this does not become a subject of intense political debate," she stated.
Her comments follow the State Defence Council's agreement to allocate between 5% and 6% of GDP to defence from 2026 through 2030. The additional funding is intended for developing a national military division, procuring new weapons and equipment, and preparing infrastructure for the permanent deployment of a German brigade in Lithuania.
Deputy National Defence Minister Karolis Aleksa backed the proposal, saying that reducing defence spending after 2030 would make it difficult to sustain the capabilities currently being developed. He stressed that maintaining long-term military spending would require broad political consensus.
NATO members recently agreed at the alliance's summit to increase defence-related spending to 5% of GDP by 2035, responding to pressure from the United States and growing security concerns from Russia. Under the agreement, allies are expected to allocate 3.5% of GDP to core defence and an additional 1.5% to broader security investments, including dual-use infrastructure and cybersecurity.
Lithuania plans to spend 5.38% of GDP, approximately 4.8 billion euros, on defence this year, making it one of NATO's highest-spending members relative to the size of its economy.
