"I call not to lose hope despite of somewhat dramatic and heated statements made in politics. In practice, as we see today, in NATO bodies or in bilateral relations we do not see any indication our relations becoming strained," Paluckas told reporters in Estonia.
"On the contrary, efforts of our region, efforts of the three Baltic States to mobilise funding [for defence] are indeed appreciated. Therefore, I can state that today I do not really see a threat for our transatlantic cooperation," stated Paluckas.
The head of the Lithuanian Government emphasised that the security of the Baltic region is inseparable from maintaining strong transatlantic ties. He says a productive dialogue with the USA must be sought, whereas US military presence in the Baltic region is a key measure of deterrence. The prime minister says Lithuania agrees that the EU must without any delay adopt "serious decisions on investment in defence".
As reported, the State Defence Council in January decided that Lithuania would spend 5-6% of GDP on defence every year between 2026 and 2030 to establish and equip a division-sized unit.
In March, US President Donald Trump again questioned collective defence, claiming that he would not defend countries that do not spend enough on defence.