Lithuania will increase its defense budget to a record level of 5.38% of GDP in 2026, Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene announced following a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.
Finance Minister Kristupas Vaitiekunas said total defense spending will reach nearly €4.8 billion ($5.5 billion), according to Lithuania’s national broadcaster LRT.
Ruginiene said the budget increase responds to the Defense Ministry’s operational requirements and includes funding for infrastructure projects that support military mobility. “It’s only natural that when you buy a tank, you need to be able to move it during wartime,” she noted. “We should not understand defense solely through weapons procurement. There are many other things that become active and essential in wartime.”
She added that the increase would not affect Lithuania’s broader defense priorities, such as establishing a national army division and hosting NATO allies.
‘Swamp Defense’ StrategyAs part of its long-term defense planning, Lithuania also intends to restore marshlands along its borders, a project developed jointly with other Baltic states. The initiative aims to strengthen natural barriers and improve resilience against potential threats.
Officials said the program will begin with pilot peatland restoration projects next year, coordinated between the Environment and Defense Ministries, with an initial allocation of around €10 million. “We’re trying to identify where restoration would have the greatest impact and where it makes most sense to begin,” said Environment Minister Povilas Poderskis.
Historically, wetlands served as natural defenses in Lithuania, particularly during medieval conflicts with the Teutonic and Livonian orders. They currently cover about one-tenth of the country’s territory. Under the EU’s forthcoming Nature Restoration Regulation, approximately 40,000 hectares of peatlands are expected to be rehabilitated beginning in 2026.
Deputy Defense Minister Tomas Godliauskas said that eventually 3–4% of Lithuania’s border areas could be converted back into wetlands as part of the defense concept. “Restored marshes would complement, not replace, existing military infrastructure,” he explained.
Environmental experts noted successful examples such as the Aukstumala bog in the Silute district. “If it’s a raised bog, it’s fed only by rainfall,” said Nerijus Zableckis, head of the Peatland Restoration and Protection Fund. “If it’s a fen, we might need to build a dam, possibly an adjustable one, to retain water.”
While some Russian commentators have questioned the idea’s effectiveness, Lithuanian officials pointed to similar terrain in Ukraine, where wetlands have complicated military operations.