Political rift forces Lithuanian defence minister to tender resignation

Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovile Šakalienė announced her intention to resign, stating that she will first discuss her decision with President Gitanas Nausėda.

Speaking to reporters in the Seimas, Šakalienė emphasised that continuing to work in the government is impossible without the confidence of Prime Minister Inga Ruginenė and Lithuanian Social Democratic Party leader Mindaugas Sinkevičius, as per Lithuanian media.

"It has been agreed with the Lithuanian president that I will not submit a statement to the prime minister without talking to him first. I already have a draft of the statement, and I will meet with the president today. At the moment, I don't see any reasons that could change my decision, because this is politics. The confidence of the prime minister and the party chairman is the things that basically determine whether you can be delegated to do a certain job," Šakalienė said.

The minister underlined her efforts to ensure Lithuania’s defence is properly funded and that the country’s defence capabilities are strengthened as quickly as possible.

The disagreement between Šakalienė and Prime Minister Ruginenė began after the Defence Ministry held an informal meeting with opinion leaders on October 14, during which it was indicated that defence funding in 2026 would total only 4.87% of GDP. The following day, Ruginenė announced that 5.38% of GDP would be allocated for defence in 2026, amounting to €4.79 billion.

The Prime Minister initially described Šakalienė’s actions as sabotage, later calling them a misunderstanding, suggesting that the minister and other Social Democrat leaders may have used the opinion leaders’ meeting to pressure the government for higher funding.

Šakalienė maintained that she was unaware of the meeting but stressed that a responsible minister must defend the defence budget.

Despite her explanation, Ruginenė and party chairman Sinkevičius reportedly did not accept Šakalienė’s account. On Monday, after consultations with Army Commander Gen. Raimundas Vaičikonis and the minister herself, the Prime Minister decided that the Defence Ministry’s coordination of the defence industry would be transferred to the Ministries of Economy, Innovation, and Finance, citing a serious loss of credibility.

"I will definitely talk to the president and explain my motives to him. My team may not quite agree that the work cannot be continued, but they understand my arguments. Trust is really key here. I think the situation is clear," Šakalienė said, adding, "I don't see the possibility of working in an environment where there is no trust."

By Tamilla Hasanova