Lithuania’s authorities allocated another 130 million euros for drones and other military needs, reports Delfi.
thereby, the expenses for the defense needs of the Baltic state in 2024 will increase to 3.2 percent of GDP, the agency cites the Minister of Defense Laurinas Kashchunas.
According to the minister, after this decision, Lithuania will reach fourth place among NATO countries in this indicator.
The Lithuanian Ministry of Defense plans to send additional funds to purchase drones and protection systems from drones, providing military personnel with night vision devices and laser sights, as well as the purchase of portable PIORUN air defense systems and other defense projects, the Minister explained.
Kashchunas also indicated that since the beginning of the work of the current government of Lithuania, the costs of defense have increased from 1.1 billion to 2.42 billion euros, which “made it possible to achieve a significant breakthrough during the modernization of the army.”
Against the backdrop of a 25 -year -old conflict of the Russian Federation and Ukraine, the NATO states are striving to increase defense expenses and in 2024 to fulfill the goal of spending at least 2 percent of the GDP on these purposes in 2014
According to NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg, this year the Allies will increase defense costs by an average of 18 percent, which will become the largest indicator over the decades.