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Lithuania Pledges to Boost Defense Spending After Trump Demand

The Baltic states and Poland have led the way in increasing defense spending in Europe since the Kremlin’s 2022 invasion of Ukraine.
Photographer: Sean Gallup/Getty Images

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By Aaron Eglitis and Milda Seputyte

January 17, 2025 at 12:51 PM UTC

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Lithuania plans to increase defense spending to deter potential threats from Russia after US President-elect Donald Trump urged European allies to boost funds for the military.

Trump has threatened to abandon NATO and demanded members of the military alliance more than double the current target for defense expenditure to the equivalent of 5% of economic output.