Lithuania’s Defence Minister Dovile Sakaliene says she expects Seimas members to help convince US lawmakers not to reduce Washington’s military support for NATO’s eastern member states.
Foreign media reported last week that the US planned to end long-running military assistance for European countries close to Russia, including funding for a programme that provided money to the Baltic states.
The final decision on this matter will have to be made by the US Congress.
“No decisions have been made yet, and the Senate and Congress will obviously have heated discussions on this matter, so the actions of our parliamentarians will be important here. I hope they will be constructive, with an understanding of what is really happening in the US and the world,” the minister said in a Facebook post on September 8.
According to her, the national defence system is already developing an intensive agenda for strengthening bilateral relations with the US.
The US is the only country in the world that provides military support for foreign countries in this way. Under the programme, a certain amount of money is allocated to purchase weapons manufactured by that country, take courses and upgrade certain software.
Lithuania receives US support from the programme primarily through the Baltic Security Initiative, which has been in operation since 2020. Through this initiative, the US Department of Defense supports the development of the defence capabilities and interoperability of the three Baltic States.
According to the Lithuanian Defence Ministry, the amount allocated from the US special programme varies each year, but averages around 60 million euros annually. (LRT)