Auditor General Irena Segalovičienė argues that Lithuania should commit to spending more than 5% of its gross domestic product on defence beyond 2030 to prevent future governments from cutting the military budget.
Segalovičienė proposed enshrining the target in Lithuania's strategic documents, arguing that audits show elevated defence funding will remain necessary well into the next decade to maintain the country’s strengthened security posture.
She said the National Security Strategy should require defence spending of more than 5% of GDP until at least 2035.
“The state has decided to increase its security and truly elevate the national defence system from one level to another. We must have clear strategic patience so that this does not become a subject of intense political debate,” Segalovičienė said.
Her comments come after Lithuania’s State Defence Council, which brings together the country’s political and military leadership, agreed to allocate between 5% and 6% of GDP to defence from 2026 through 2030.
