Overview
- President Gitanas Nausėda met German Chancellor Friedrich Merz at the Munich Security Conference, joined by the prime ministers of Estonia and Latvia.
- Germany’s plan to station the 45th Armored Brigade in Lithuania was reaffirmed, with Vilnius prioritizing preparations to host the unit in 2027.
- Lithuania said it is allocating more than 5 percent of GDP to defense this year as part of efforts to bolster NATO deterrence.
- Nausėda called for fair transatlantic burden-sharing, stressing that Europe cannot replace NATO and urging higher defense investment by EU members.
- Lithuania detailed ongoing Ukraine support, citing military aid equal to 0.28 percent of GDP last year, $30 million for the PURL initiative with similar funding planned, and an additional €30 million for the Patriot air defense effort.