Winning Lithuanian party promises bolstered defense to counter threats from Russia

By Leila Nezirevic

LONDON (AA) - After winning Sunday’s parliamentary elections, Lithuania’s Social Democratic Party (LSDP) on Monday said it will spend “as much money as needed” on security and defense to counter a potential threat from Moscow.

“Our election manifesto says it should be not less than 3.5% (of GDP), and this is unavoidable,” the Social Democrat leader and MEP Vilija Blinkeviciute told reporters at a Vilnius press conference.

The Baltic country is among the top NATO spenders, allocating about 3% of its GDP to defense, according to national broadcaster LRT.

Under its outgoing conservative government, Lithuania has been one of the strongest EU critics of Russia due to its war on Ukraine.

The newly elected leader is expected to form a coalition with the Union of Democrats "For Lithuania" (DSVL) and the Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union (LVZS), securing a majority, Politico reported.

Despite leadership change, analysts say Lithuania’s foreign policy is likely to remain pro-Western, with continued emphasis on security and defense.

The center-left LSDP won 52 seats in the 141-member parliament.

Official results from Sunday’s vote showed the center-right party of the outgoing Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte, TS-LKD (Homeland Union-Lithuanian Christian Democrats), finishing second with 28 seats, while the nationalist-populist Dawn of Nemunas secured 20 seats, and the DSVL won 14.

The Liberal Movement obtained 12 seats, with LVZS capturing eight.

In the Baltic country which shares a 179-mile (275km) border with Russia, 2.8 million people believe it could be the target of a Russian invasion in the near future, according to recent polls.