Lithuania’s Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė said Tuesday she has decided to step down after losing the trust of Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė and Social Democratic Party chairman Mindaugas Sinkevičius over the defense budget.
Speaking on Tuesday, Šakalienė said she sees “no other opportunities to work when there is no trust,” LRT reported.
The decision comes after a public rift with Ruginienė, who last week criticized fellow Social Democrat Šakalienė for lobbying on the budget behind the government’s back. On Monday, the prime minister stripped the minister of responsibility for the defense industry, saying that “trust has definitely weakened.”
Before submitting her resignation letter, Šakalienė plans to meet President Gitanas Nausėda, but stressed her decision is final. “I don’t see any reasons that could change my decision — that’s politics,” she said.
Nausėda, speaking ahead of the meeting, emphasized that the 2026 defense budget is the country’s top priority and “everything else should be set aside for now,” he told reporters. While the trust “is very important,” he wants to hear Šakalienė’s account of the situation and her vision for her future in the post.
Lithuania is expected to spend 5.38 percent of GDP on defense in 2026, above NATO’s recently agreed target of 5 percent.
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