EU country’s defense minister quits over budget dispute
Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene has announced her resignation following a week-long rift with Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene over the country’s military budget.
The dispute reportedly stemmed from an off-the-record meeting on October 14 where Defense Ministry staff encouraged journalists to pressure the government to raise its budget allocation to 5% of Lithuania’s GDP, as demanded by NATO.
The prime minister slammed the meeting as “sabotage” and declared she had lost confidence in the defense minister.
Sakaliene said on Facebook on Wednesday she was stepping down due to “different fundamental views,” after repeated clashes with Ruginiene about the 2026 defense budget.
“Just a month ago, I had hoped we could work together, but unfortunately, we cannot,” Sakaliene wrote.
This week, the Baltic nation’s government endorsed a record defense budget of €4.79 billion ($5.6 billion), equal to 5.38% of GDP, and in line with NATO’s drive to boost military spending. The draft will be debated before final parliamentary approval later this year.
Under pressure from US President Donald Trump, European NATO members have promised to increase their military budgets to 5% of GDP. EU governments have also announced large-scale military investments, citing an alleged threat posed by Russia – a claim Moscow denies.
The Kremlin has dismissed allegations of hostile intent toward Western nations as “nonsense” and fearmongering, and has condemned what it calls the West’s “reckless militarization.”
Lithuania, along with its Baltic neighbors Latvia and Estonia, has taken a particularly hardline stance toward Moscow since the Ukraine conflict escalated in 2022.
