Lithuania will allocate at least 0.25% of GDP per year to defense aid to Ukraine - Nausėda

The President of Lithuania Gitanas Nausėda announced that the country agreed to allocate at least 0.25% of its GDP to support the security and defense of Ukraine.

He wrote about this on the X social network.

"Today, at the meeting of the State Defense Council, we agreed on the allocation of at least 0.25% of GDP to support the security and defense of Ukraine. Lithuania will continue to stand firmly for victory. We will always support freedom," the message reads.

The LRT publication reported that the chief adviser to the President on national security Kästutis Budris explained to journalists after the State Defense Council meeting that they approved the allocation for the next three years of annual support by Lithuania for military and security needs, which should be at least 0.25% of GDP, or however much it is equaled in today's figures - EUR 190 million per year.

"All the military support that will be allocated from this planned amount will be both lethal and non-lethal, both direct, which we directly transfer to the Ukrainian side, and indirectly, through our participation in various funds or coalitions for the development of its capacities," he said.

Budris reminded that a year ago the council approved a three-year plan to support Ukraine, which provided that military aid in the amount of EUR 200 million would be allocated to Ukraine in the next three years.

"We see that the situation has changed. Lithuania's ambitions and capabilities, as well as Ukraine's needs, have increased, and our support has already exceeded the expected numbers," he explained this decision.

Defense Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas said that in principle it is possible to triple the funds provided for in the support plan for Ukraine a year ago. He noted that 0.25% of GDP was chosen as a starting point because if all NATO countries allocated such an amount, it would compensate for the resources allocated by russia to the war.

"I can say with confidence that we will exceed these percentages," Kasčiūnas said.

According to the minister, the basis of Lithuania's supplies to Ukraine are M113 armored personnel carriers, Lithuanian drones, demining equipment and air defense radars.

It is noted that the State Defense Council of Lithuania consists of the President, the Prime Minister, the Speaker of the Seimas, the Minister of Defense and the Commander of the Army. It considers and coordinates the most important issues of state defense.

As Ukrainian News Agency earlier reported, Lithuania is ready to send its military to assist in the training of the Armed Forces on Ukrainian territory, Prime Minister of Lithuania Ingrid Šimonite said.

Meanwhile, Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurynas Kasčiūnas expressed hope that Vilnius will soon be able to withdraw from the Convention on cluster munitions. The countries that signed this treaty undertook not to use this type of ammunition.