**Europe Must Spend More on Defense, Says Lithuania’s Acting Minister**
Lithuania’s acting defense minister, Dovilė Šakalienė, wants Europe to take a bigger role in funding its own defense. She said it’s unfair that the US spends more on defense than European countries.
Šakalienė stated that Europe should be responsible for its own defense contributions. She also acknowledged that the US has other priorities, like protecting itself and allies Taiwan and Israel. She emphasized that if Europe struggles against Russia, the US will face problems with China.
**Lithuania to Meet Defense Spending Goal**
The Lithuanian government plans to maintain its current defense spending of 3.5% of GDP in 2025. Šakalienė also hinted that this amount might increase to 5% in the future.
**US Pressure on NATO Allies to Increase Spending**
Šakalienė’s comments come as US officials consider increasing pressure on NATO allies to meet a defense spending target of 3% of GDP. Currently, some large European economies, such as Italy and Spain, are failing to reach the 2% mark.
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