Only in recent years has Lithuania begun to finance national defense more generously

DAILY CHART

Lamb, shake: Lithuania has only in recent years begun to more generously finance national defense

For years, Lithuania lived with the belief that “NATO will protect us” and financed the national defense quite sparingly. It took at least three alarm clocks to wake me up.

When the Russian army invaded Sakartvela and marched to the outskirts of Tbilisi in 2008, Lithuania was already a member of NATO, and we will celebrate the twentieth anniversary of joining this organization tomorrow.

Soon the world was shaken by the financial crisis, which hit the Baltic countries particularly hard, especially Latvia and Lithuania. At that time, all expenses were ruthlessly cut, and the national defense system also had to tighten its belts. Even the politicians in the highest positions thought they had to explain themselves: “Who are we going to war with?” With Latvia?”

When in 2014 Russia annexed Crimea and started a war in Eastern Ukraine, Lithuania’s defense budget was only 0.88 percent. GDP. After that, it started to increase, but 2 percent. reached the limit only in 2019. The third call was heard – after 2022. in February, Lithuania is already talking about 3 or even 4 percent. share of GDP for national defense.

We also look better in the context of NATO, approaching its average, which is inflated by high US defense spending. The combined contribution of European countries and Canada is still too small.