The President met with the Chair of the NATO Military Committee

President Gitanas Nausėda met on Thursday with the Chair of the NATO Military Committee, Admiral Giuseppe Cavo Dragone.

The meeting focused on security issues on Lithuania's and NATO's eastern flank, defense investment, strengthening air defense, the presence of allied troops in Lithuania, and military assistance to Ukraine. The President emphasized that Lithuania is a committed ally, making significant investments in defense and strengthening the security of the entire region.

"Lithuania is a committed ally - next year we plan to allocate 5.38 percent of GDP to defense. By investing between 5 and 6 percent of GDP in defense by 2030, we will fulfill our share of NATO's capability requirements," the President said.

Gitanas Nausėda noted that the security of NATO's eastern flank, and specifically, the Baltic States, is vitally important for deterring possible Russian aggression due to their strategic position within the Alliance. The President presented Lithuania's priorities to the Chair of the NATO Military Committee: to establish a fully operational national division by 2030 and to host Germany's armored brigade by the end of 2027.

Considerable attention was devoted to NATO's collective defense and Lithuania's national priority - air defense. The President noted that the ongoing reform of NATO's integrated air defense should strengthen the presence of allied air defense capabilities in Lithuania and the Baltic States. The development of counter-drone systems was also discussed.

The President and the Chair of the NATO Military Committee also discussed the presence of allied troops in Lithuania and further support for Ukraine, which continues to fight against Russian aggression. Gitanas Nausėda emphasized that Ukraine's defense is also our defense, Therefore, Lithuania is fully committed to continuing its military support to Ukraine, amounting to no less than 0.25 percent of Lithuania's GDP annually.