Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene recently visited the United States to engage with executives from defense companies, aiming to reinforce their ongoing defense partnership.
During a roundtable discussion with reporters at the Lithuanian Embassy in Washington, D.C., on Friday, Sakaliene emphasized that her conversations with Northrop Grumman, RTX and Lockheed Martin align with her government’s commitment to enhancing its defenses against current and future threats.
She underscored the importance of the timing of her visit and discussions with U.S. policymakers and defense vendors, particularly in light of escalating Russian aggression in Europe. “That’s why we are really pushing forward with our military capability plans, with our defense capacity-building, infrastructure and personnel and acquisitions,” she added.
Sakaliene’s visit followed a summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, which she noted had sparked “different interpretations” of the U.S. president’s stance on European security.
When asked how the Baltic nation intends to allocate taxpayer money, Sakaliene responded, “We want to develop a full-fledged capacity and capability to be able to work very well with the joint NATO forces, with our sister divisions … we are developing our land forces, our air defense, our engineering capabilities.”
Vilnius has been working with several U.S. companies to meet its military technology needs. In 2024, it signed a memorandum of understanding with Northrop to produce medium-caliber ammunition for infantry fighting vehicles.