“Defense is one of the most important priorities on the European Union’s agenda. We are closely monitoring the current presidency’s work and appreciate the initiatives continued during Ireland’s presidency. At the same time, we are consistently preparing for Lithuania’s upcoming presidency. Our goal is to continue the work started, strengthen Europe’s defense readiness, and ensure that EU decisions are supported by real capabilities and sufficient funding,” the minister said in a released statement.
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According to the Ministry of National Defence (MND), during its presidency Lithuania will seek to further strengthen the EU’s defense readiness, develop joint European defense initiatives and projects, promote sustainable development of the European defense industry, ensure comprehensive support to Ukraine, and create better conditions for military mobility across the Union.
One of the most important events of Lithuania’s presidency will be the informal meeting of EU defense ministers, which will take place in Vilnius in April.
The MND states that Lithuania also plans to hold a high-level conference dedicated to the “Eastern Flank Watch” initiative, where defense solutions at the EU’s external borders, border protection needs, combating the threat posed by drones, and integrating Ukraine’s military experience into European defense planning will be discussed.
According to R. Kaunas, strengthening the Eastern flank must become one of the EU’s strategic defense priorities.
“The Eastern flank is the external border of the European Union and NATO with Russia and Belarus. Therefore, the security of this region is not only a matter of security for Lithuania, other Baltic states, or Poland, but for all of Europe,” the minister said.
In May 2026, Finland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Sweden submitted the “Eastern Flank Watch” – a European defense project of common interest – proposal to the European Commission. Later, more countries joined the initiative – a total of 18 countries are participating in the project.
The European Commission included “Eastern Flank Watch” in the list of recommended European defense projects of common interest, and it is expected that the EU Council will approve the decision on these projects in September.
According to the ministry, Lithuania aims for “Eastern Flank Watch” to be properly reflected not only in EU defense initiatives but also on the highest-level political agenda, and the project requires long-term and sufficient EU funding. Preliminary estimates suggest that the total funding requirement for the initiative could reach about 100 billion euros.
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The meeting also discussed further EU actions to support Ukraine. Lithuania seeks faster integration of Ukraine into the European defense industry and technological base.
According to the minister, it is necessary to simplify EU licensing and certification rules so that cooperation between the Ukrainian and European defense industries can develop more rapidly.
The minister and the High Representative also spoke about national air defense priorities. Lithuania is rapidly strengthening airspace surveillance, air defense, and counter-drone capabilities in response to the increasing threat posed by low-flying aerial threats.
The ministry emphasizes that one of the main projects currently being implemented is the development of a short-range air defense system. Lithuania would need up to 1 billion euros to strengthen these capabilities, and about 2 billion euros for all three Baltic states combined.
From 2026 to 2030, Lithuania plans to allocate 2.03 billion euros for the development of airspace surveillance, air defense, and electronic warfare. Lithuania, together with Latvia and Estonia, has also applied to the European Commission for additional EU funding for urgent air defense needs.
In the meeting with the High Representative K. Kallas, the minister also emphasized that strengthening European defense must include not only the development of military capabilities. NATO defense plans are increasingly focusing on host nation support, which is inseparable from civilian capabilities.
Therefore, according to the minister, it is necessary to strengthen crisis and wartime planning mechanisms, cross-border resource coordination, civil preparedness, and military mobility. These capabilities are an important part of common European security and resilience.
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