Lithuanian PM meets Dutch counterpart, hopes NATO agrees on 3 pct of GDP for defense

VILNIUS - Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas met with his Dutch counterpart, Dick Schoof, in Rukla on Tuesday, expressing optimism that NATO leaders will agree on a target of at least 3 percent of GDP for defense at their next summit.

"NATO countries' focus and investment in defense must match the threats near us, currently held at bay at the cost of Ukraine's enormous sacrifice. That is why my government is committed to defense funding of at least 3.5 percent of GDP and we will exceed this figure in next year's budget," Paluckas said in a press release on Tuesday.

"We believe in the need for all allies to agree on the 3 percent (of GDP) floor for defense (spending) at the Alliance's next summit in The Hague, which would be a very significant gesture of deterrence and unity," he added.

In Rukla, the Lithuanian and Dutch prime ministers visited Dutch troops stationed in the central Lithuanian town as part of NATO's enhanced Forward Presence Battalion Battle Group.

Paluckas said that Lithuania highly appreciates the Netherlands' contribution to the security of the Baltic region and the Alliance as a whole.

He specifically highlighted the deployment of the Netherlands' Patriot air defense system in Lithuania for an exercise last July.

Among other things, Paluckas and Schoof discussed support for Ukraine and the need to strengthen Ukraine's position without pressuring it into making concessions to the aggressor or into negotiations that would not ensure a sustainable and lasting peace.

"The Netherlands' support is very important for Ukraine, which I had the opportunity to visit a few days ago. Together, we have done a lot to help Ukraine hold out, but we can do more to help it defeat the aggressor," the Lithuanian prime minister said.

In talks on security issues, the leaders emphasized the importance of building resilience against hybrid threats, protecting critical infrastructure, and responding to challenges with a unified and resolute approach.

Paluckas described the Netherlands as a very important economic partner for Lithuania, noting that there is still potential to boost ties, especially in sectors that generate high added value.