The United States’ total military assistance to Lithuania will increase to $141 million in 2022 after the US Congress approved an additional funding package, the American Embassy in Vilnius said on October 4.
The funding is part of a $2.2-billion aid package to help Ukraine and 17 other countries that have made significant contributions to support Kyiv in its fight against the Russian invasion.
The assistance package is aimed at boosting the Lithuanian armed forces’ capability to deter and defend against Russia’s increased threat. It should also help to compensate for Lithuania’s military capability, which the country shared with Ukraine.
“Lithuania’s leadership in the region and military support for the defence of Ukraine has been crucial to the efforts of the Ukrainian people to fight back against Russian aggression. This money will help Lithuania to rebuild important defence capabilities for its own protection that will also strengthen NATO’s eastern flank,” US Ambassador Robert Gilchrist said in a statement.
Lithuanian Defence Minister Arvydas Anusauskas said this support showed that the US commitment to regional security “remains strong and growing”. (LRT/Business World Magazine)
