Lithuania president calls for action to fix military procurement system

VILNIUS - Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Friday called for immediate action to address shortcomings in the country's weapons and military equipment procurement system after a state audit found it was failing to meet the needs of the armed forces.

"Unfortunately, I must admit that the National Audit Office has highlighted certain systemic issues that we must correct. (...) The institution did not identify a tragedy, but the indicated shortcomings are essential, they are correctable, and they must be corrected as quickly as possible," the head of state told reporters on Friday.

According to Nauseda, in the current geopolitical situation, defence projects cannot afford to take too long. The president also said it was vital for the public that state funds were used optimally.

The National Audit Office, which audited defence system acquisitions for 2021-2025, found that the share of failed procurements in the defence sector grew 2.5 times over two years, from 24 percent in 2023 to 59 percent in 2025.

The president said decision-making procedures needed to be reviewed.

"There is a lot of disorder here, which often ends either in a lack of clear responsibility or a very long period from identifying a need to fulfilling it. I am talking about the military's needs for ammunition, equipment, and other things," Nauseda said.

In response to the findings, the Ministry of National Defence intends to submit draft laws to the government in the autumn that would allow for faster acquisition of weaponry and military equipment.

Lithuania has planned to allocate 5.38 percent of its gross domestic product to defence in this year's budget, approximately 4.8 billion euros. Officials have said next year's defence spending should also remain at no less than 5 percent of gross domestic product.