Lithuania backs plan to double EU military aid for Ukraine

By Lili Bayer and Andrew Gray

BRUSSELS (Reuters) - Lithuania on Sunday backed an EU proposal to pledge up to 40 billion euros ($43.5 billion) in military aid for Ukraine this year and said a similar amount would also be needed in future years to deter any future Russian attack.

"If we can sustain this amount ... for a longer period of time, that would be the amount that would allow Ukrainians to keep their armed forces at current strength," Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kestutis Budrys told Reuters on Sunday.

Budrys spoke on the eve of a meeting of EU foreign ministers in Brussels that will discuss the proposal, put forward by the bloc's diplomatic service, headed by former Estonian Prime Minister Kaja Kallas.

The meeting comes at a time of uncertainty about the outcome of U.S. negotiations with Russia, the future of U.S. assistance to Ukraine and Washington's commitment to European security.

EU diplomats suggested doubling military aid to Ukraine to as much as 40 billion euros, according to a document seen by Reuters on Friday.

While some EU countries have responded cautiously to the initiative, Budrys said long-term military support for Ukraine should not depend on the outcome of any peace talks as it was already clear Kyiv would need to maintain strong armed forces.

"Ukraine's armed forces will be the main deterrence forces for Russians not to return," he said.

Lithuania has been among Ukraine’s staunchest supporters since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in 2022 and is among Europe's top defence spenders as a percentage of GDP.

The Baltic country spent 2.85% of GDP on defence in 2024, according to NATO estimates, and has committed to raising that figure to 5% to 6% between 2026 and 2030.

($1 = 0.9194 euros)

(Reporting by Lili Bayer and Andrew Gray; Editing by Lisa Shumaker)