Budrys in Washington: The U.S. support remains critically important for the security of the Baltic states

On 5 February in Washington, D.C., the Minister of Foreign Affairs Kęstutis Budrys met with the U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal, a member of the Senate Armed Services and Judiciary Committees,, and Pat Harrigan, a member of the House Armed Services Committee.

The meetings focused on bilateral relations between Lithuania and the United States, as well as Arctic and transatlantic security challenges, and continued U.S. support for the Baltic region. The Minister emphasized that Lithuania remains a reliable and responsible NATO ally, allocating 5.38% of its GDP for defense spending in 2026 and consistently strengthening its national capacities.

"American troops in Lithuania are a cornerstone of deterrence in the Baltic states. We are grateful to the U.S. Congress for its consistent political and financial support, which plays a crucial role in the security and deterrence of our region," said Budrys.

The meetings also discussed the Baltic security initiative through which the Congress this week allocated $200 million in defense assistance to Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia.

The head of Lithuania's diplomacy underlined that Lithuania works closely with the U.S. in modernising its defence capabilities, from acquisitions to joint projects in the areas of high technology, lasers, photonics, semiconductors, and AI. Lithuania is ready to integrate into U.S. defence supply chains for faster, more efficient acquisitions.

According to the Minister, another important pillar of bilateral cooperation is economics and energy. Last year, the U.S. became the dominant supplier of liquefied natural gas (LNG) to the Klaipėda terminal, and the volume of LNG imports increased by 84%. Lithuania continues to urge Europe to abandon Russian energy resources and is interested in expanding energy cooperation with U.S. companies.

The meeting also addressed bilateral business projects, one of the first being the "SBA Home North Caroline" furniture factory in North Carolina, which raised USD 70 million.

While discussing the peace negotiation process, Budrys expressed Lithuania's support for the U.S. efforts to achieve peace in Ukraine and stressed that the role of the United States remaines irreplaceable in pressuring Russia to negotiate in good faith for a lasting peace. According to the Minister, it is necessary to continue military, political, and economic support for Kyiv and to tighten sanctions against Russia in order to dismantle the aggressor's war machine.

At the Department of State, the Minister also met with the U.S. special envoy to Belarus, John Coale, to whom he presented the current situation regarding hybrid attacks from Belarus. Budrys thanked the U.S. for its support for Lithuania and highlighted America's role in maintaining political pressure on Minsk. According to the Minister, it is necessary to strengthen NATO's response to hybrid threats, which would help to effectively counter airspace violations, cyber operations, and other destabilizing activities.

Also during the visit, at the Heritage Foundation and the Atlantic Council think tanks the Minister met with foreign and security policy experts who have long-standing governmental and diplomatic experience.

During his visit to Washington, the Minister was also scheduled to meet with Senator Bill Hagerty, a member of the Foreign Relations and Appropriations Committees, and Congressman Keith Self, Chairman of the Europe Subcommittee of the House Foreign Affairs Committee.