VILNIUS, Oct. 15 (Xinhua) -- Lithuania plans to allocate 5.38 percent of its gross domestic product to defense next year, Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene said on Wednesday.
"The 2026 budget will earmark 5.38 percent of GDP for defense, a record-high figure," she told the Baltic News Service.
Finance Minister Kristupas Vaitiekunas said that almost 4.8 billion euros (5.56 billion U.S. dollars) will be allocated for defense next year.
Ruginiene said that the appropriations are based on the Defense Ministry's needs but will also include funding for projects not directly related to military capability development, such as roads leading to military training areas.
"It's only natural that once you buy a tank, you have to be able to move it in wartime," the prime minister said.
"Defense shouldn't be understood solely in terms of buying weapons. There are many other things that come into play and become active in wartime," she added.
According to Ruginiene, this will not affect Lithuania's key defense commitments, including the development of a military division and projects related to hosting NATO allies. ■