The US President thanked the countries for their responsible approach to security and expressed hope that the number of such countries would rise.
“Over recent years, allies have been increasing defense spending, and are aware of the growing security challenges and threats. While protecting one of the largest external borders of NATO and the EU, Lithuania responsibly ensures the security of all NATO allies and EU partners. “We are delighted that our allies understand our special burden and value our contribution to the overall security of the Euro-Atlantic community”, said President Gitanas Nausėda.
At lunch, President Gitanas Nausėda thanked the US President for his extraordinary leadership in encouraging Allies to respect all their commitments to NATO, especially adequate defense funding.
“We are confident that only countries that have a responsible approach to their security and make every effort to defend themselves can also count on the support of their allies”, said President Nausėda.
The President also thanked the US for its contribution and leadership in strengthening the security of the Baltic region. The President welcomed the well-functioning NATO enhanced forward presence battalion in Rukla and expressed his gratitude for the recent deployment of additional troops, the heavy armored battalion, in Pabradė. These forces are highly important to Lithuania's security and contribute to deterring potential aggressors.
The two leaders also talked about Lithuania's acquisition of armaments to strengthen the country's defense capabilities. This year, Lithuania’s defense spending amounts to 2.03 percent of its GDP.
