Lithuania has ordered ministries to save about €137 million on defense in 2026.

The Lithuanian authorities, in search of additional budget funds for the defense industry, have ordered the ministries to save about €137 million next year. This was announced to journalists on April 9 by Finance Minister Rimantas Shajus.

"In the long term, we hope to find reserves that will save up to a billion euros in this way. This is, of course, a serious contribution by government agencies to the financing of defense," the Verslo aplinka publication quotes him as saying.

It is noted that departments, with the exception of the Ministry of Defense, have been tasked with reducing costs by 5%.

In turn, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kastutis Budris stated that his priority is to ensure proper working conditions for diplomats. However, he stressed that efforts would be made to save money.

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European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said on March 18 that Europe should have strong defenses by 2030, for which it needs to rearm and develop capabilities for reliable deterrence. In particular, according to the head of the EC, European countries should increase investments in the production of air and missile defense systems, as well as all modern types of drones and anti-drone systems.