Lithuania has approved an updated National Security Strategy for 2026, according to which at least 0.25% of GDP will be allocated annually to support Ukraine in the security and defense sphere, with a focus on continuing training of Ukrainian troops and providing comprehensive assistance to Kyiv.
According to the Lithuanian Ministry of Defense, the document notes a sharp deterioration of the security environment in Europe. It identifies Russia as an existential threat to Lithuania and the entire transatlantic space, and outlines a scenario in which Moscow could be prepared for broad-scale actions against NATO by 2030.
The strategy outlines three main policy directions: strengthening the armed forces, supporting defense and the country’s overall resilience, and shaping an international security environment in line with Lithuania’s interests.
Vilnius confirms the political commitment to fund defense at a level of at least 5–6% of GDP by 2030, which significantly exceeds NATO’s baseline requirements.
Key priorities and external challenges
Among the priorities are the development of the armed forces, strengthening national resilience, and understanding of intelligence and counterintelligence capabilities. It also concerns countering hybrid threats, improving export controls and the regulation of dual-use goods, diversification of external trade, and enhancing energy security.
Great emphasis is placed on forming an international security system based on the norms of international law and effective mechanisms of collective defense and European security.
The main external risks are named Russia as the primary military threat, Belarus as a factor of unpredictability due to dependence on Moscow, and China and other states that contribute to Russia’s long-term ability to resist the West, particularly through the supply of technologies and dual-use goods.
Lithuania directly links its own security to the outcomes of the Russian-Ukrainian war, stressing that European security will not be real without an independent, sovereign, and secure Ukraine and its integration into the Euro-Atlantic space.
The strategy provides for an annual allocation of no less than 0.25% of GDP to aid Ukraine in the security and defense sphere and continued training of Ukrainian troops and comprehensive support to Kyiv.
“Formalization of this support as a long-term element of national security creates a predictable level of assistance for Ukraine. At the same time, the emphasis on regional formats – the Nordic-Baltic Eight and the Northern Group – signals Vilnius’s intention to strengthen security through ‘small coalitions’ as a supplement to NATO.”
– SZRU
According to Lithuania’s intelligence services, in November there were 325 information attacks by Russia and Belarus.