The Lithuanian Defence Ministry seeks that almost $3 million contributed by the country to a NATO trust fund aimed at supporting Afghanistan’s security forces be transferred to Ukraine.
The Cabinet is expected to adopt the respective protocol decision this week.
According to the ministry, $2.876 million (2.94 million euros) contributed by Lithuania to the NATO-run Afghan National Army (ANA) Trust Fund since 2015 are currently frozen.
Lithuania can ask for just over $2 million to be returned to it or transferred to other NATO funds until the end of the year and will be able to request a reallocation of the remaining amount later.
“If the state decided to use the funds for other purposes, they would be returned to the budget of the Republic of Lithuania within ten working days of the submission of the request and other necessary documents,” the ministry said in its note to the Cabinet.
Lithuania has been contributing $500,000 to the trust fund annually for years. However, the fund stopped providing support to Afghanistan after the Taliban took control of the country last year.
The Defence Ministry proposes to use $2.154 million to purchase Lithuania-made warm clothing for Ukrainian soldiers and transfer the remaining $722,213 to NATO’s Comprehensive Assistance Package for Ukraine next year. (LRT/Business World Magazine)