Rhetoric's changing, but Trump's call for higher defense spending not new - Lithuanian PM

VILNIUS - While US President Donald Trump's statements about the need for NATO allies to boost defense spending indicate a shift in international diplomacy, they are not new, Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas said on Monday.

"Perhaps we shouldn't dramatize things before they happen. It's obvious that rhetoric and certain aspects of international diplomacy have changed," Paluckas told LRT TV.

"We're not used to it, and it shocks many political players and even the leaders of some countries. But essentially, the new US president hasn't said anything we haven't heard before," he added.

Trump urged European allies to increase defense spending more quickly during his first term as US president, but his rhetoric became sharper after his re-election last year.

After previously calling for at least 2 percent of GDP to be spent on defense, Trump is now talking about 5 percent.

'LESS HYSTERIA' IN RELATIONS WITH US

Paluckas noted that today's geopolitical context and circumstances force Europe "to take defense and funding issues very seriously".

"When we talk about the overall situation, NATO's future and our bilateral relations with the US, (...), we need less hysteria and panic, because I really don't think these reactions help or make our relationship any better or more stable," he told the public broadcaster.

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has recently warned NATO allies in Europe against assuming that the American troop presence on the continent would "last forever" and urged them to spend more on defense.

A US rotational battalion is currently stationed in Pabrade, near Vilnius.

When asked whether he is confident that these troops will stay in Lithuania, Paluckas said that "nothing is guaranteed in today's world", but added that efforts must be made to maintain their presence.

"This is why we have to make the most of our bilateral partnerships, adopt a regional approach, and actively shape policies within NATO, while also focusing on defense funding. These issues are on the table for both our NATO partners as a whole and for the US separately," he said.

"This is why we must use bilateral partnerships, adopt a proper regional approach, make efforts to shape policies within NATO while also paying additional attention to defense funding. These issues are on the table both for our NATO partners collectively and for the US separately," he said.

The prime minister added that during his visit to the US, which is being arranged, he intends to convey the message that "Lithuania is doing all possible things and making efforts to ensure first and foremost its own defense capability".