Lithuanian leaders propose defense spending hike

The State Defense Council of Lithuania proposed on Tuesday to increase defense spending up to 2.07 per cent of GDP next year amid security tensions in the region.

The State Defense Council, the country's top defense commanding body headed by President Dalia Grybauskaite, met on Tuesday to discuss priorities in development of Lithuanian defense capabilities.

The council decided to propose continuous defense spending hike. According to Grybauskaite, the country has to continue strengthening its defense capabilities taking into account "geopolitical situation, constantly arising threats to national security and the country's international commitments to NATO."

Lithuanian defense leaders have agreed to propose an increase in defense funding for the next year by almost 150 million euros (159 million U.S. dollars).

"Based on the latest economic growth prospects, this would exceed 2 percent of gross domestic product (GDP)," Zivile Satuniene, Grybauskaite's chief adviser on national security, told local media.

She added the spending would approximately be 2.07 percent of Lithuania's GDP. This year, Lithuania allocated 1.8 percent of its GDP, or almost 724 million euros, to defense. In recent years, the Baltic countries faced pressure from NATO allies for being short of 2 percent of GDP defense spending target.

According to the President's office, the council has also decided to strengthen air defense capabilities, step up supplies of heavy military equipment to the land forces.

Lithuania, a small Baltic country with a population of less than 3 million, have strengthened its defense capabilities amid security tensions in the Eastern Europe following conflicts in the Eastern Ukraine in 2014. (1 euro=1.06 U.S. dollar) Endit