The U.S. secretary of state, Marco Rubio, publicly applauded Lithuania‘s commitment to increase its national defence budget. This is in line with the U.S. calls for higher defense expenditures among NATO members. The praise is coming at a time when former president Donald Trump repeatedly expressed concerns about NATO burden sharing, and even suggested that the U.S. could withdraw due to perceived insufficient financial contributions by other member states.
Why Lithuanian Defense Spending Has Increased
It is the collective financial obligations of NATO member countries that are at issue. Trump has long claimed that the U.S. is responsible for a disproportionate amount of financial costs, and that other nations are under pressure to reach or surpass the NATO defense budget target.
Lithuania’s Stand for Independence Day and Defense
Lithuania celebrates Independence Day every year on the 16th of February. It is important because it celebrates the Act of Independence of Tsarist Russia in 1918 and the Declaration of Independence of the Soviet Union in 1990, which marked a crucial moment of decline for the USSR.
Secretary Rubio made a statement that coincided with the important celebrations. He praised Lithuania as an ally, and highlighted the strong economic partnership between Lithuania and the United States. Rubio was also very clear in recognizing Lithuania’s strategic location bordering Russia, and their proactive approach towards enhancing Lithuania’s defensive capabilities.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda announced plans for Vilnius to increase its defense expenditure to between 5% and 6% of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 2026. This is a significant investment, especially in view of the geopolitical tensions that exist in this region.
If Lithuania were to reach the 5% threshold, it would be a NATO leader in defense expenditure as a percentage of GDP. It will even surpass Poland. The former President Trump urged NATO countries to allocate 5% GDP for defense. That’s significantly higher than current NATO minimum requirement of 2%.
Mark Rutte highlighted the importance of “stepping up” the defense investment by the NATO alliance after discussions with U.S. Defense Sec. Pete Hegseth. Hegseth agreed, pointing out the higher spending of Baltic countries like Estonia and Lithuania.
Perspectives on defense spending
Key figures in NATO have expressed their views on increased spending for defense and the burden sharing within NATO.
- Marco Rubio is the Secretary of state. The Secretary of State praised Lithuania for its role as “a trusted partner”, and their strong stance towards authoritarian regimes – particularly China and Russia – while also pointing out the benefits to security that increased defense expenditures can bring.
- NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte NATO must “increase defense spending” because it is necessary to protect itself in four or five year’s time.
- Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth It was stated that NATO members should spend more for their defense on the continent, while highlighting the U.S.’s support in the framework of the alliance.
- Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda: The “possibility” of Russian aggression remains real but is not imminent, reinforcing a need for increased defense spending and capability deterrence.
Future NATO Defense Budgets
As Secretary General Rutte suggested at the Munich Security Conference, NATO countries are considering increasing their defense expenditure targets to a “considerably higher” percentage of GDP. The revised target may be discussed formally and possibly agreed to at the NATO Leaders’ Summit scheduled for June, in The Hague (Netherlands), solidifying a renewed dedication to collective defense, and burden sharing among members.