Lithuania will receive more than 6 billion euros under the EU SAFE program (Security Action for Europe) to strengthen defense capabilities. This information is reported by the radio company LRT. The loan will be included in the defense budget for four years and will be directed toward a range of weaponry and infrastructure needs.
The first tranche is expected in the second quarter of this year, about 15% of the total loan amount.
Funding Priorities and the EU’s Position
The European Commissioner for Defence and Space Andrius Kubilius noted that the specific projects that the European Commission will fund remain confidential.
All conventional weapons: starting with munitions, drones, and all other means. There is really nothing to list in detail. We hope that the countries that exist, which we will name, as frontline states, will use these funds to develop joint defense projects
– Andrius Kubilius
In the application, Lithuania was to explain in detail which projects are planned to attract funds. Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas stressed that this concerns the build-up of divisions and the creation of the necessary infrastructure to bolster the country’s defensive capabilities.
The plans also include the procurement of unmanned systems, support for Ukraine, and the development of the defense-industrial base (DIB).
The plans also include the procurement of unmanned systems, support for Ukraine, the development of the DIB
– Robertas Kaunas
The Prime Minister Inga RugienÄ— emphasized that air defense is an unequivocal priority: it concerns both countering threats from smuggling and meteorological balloons that regularly fly in from Belarus and create problems for civil aviation, as well as other defense measures.
Air defense is undoubtedly a priority, and this means everything – from countering meteorological balloons (balloons with contraband that regularly enter from Belarus and create problems for civil aviation) to other measures
– Inga Rugienė
SAFE is a new EU financial instrument that supports member states in developing defense production through joint procurement and the development of priority capabilities. The program is designed to accelerate and scale investments in European defense technologies and the manufacturing base.