News

On 6 February, during his visit to Washington, D.C., the Minister of Foreign Affairs of Lithuania, Kęstutis Budrys, met with Senators of the United States of America, representatives of the U.S. Senate Baltic Freedom Caucus Richard Joseph Durbin, Chuck Grassley, Pete Ricketts, Jeanne Shaheen, and Amy Klobuchar.

During the meeting, the Lithuanian Foreign Minister emphasized the importance of security cooperation between the United States and Lithuania for the Baltic region. Budrys also stressed that Lithuania was interested in expanding bilateral cooperation with the United States in the fields of energy, defence industry and advanced technologies.

“We appreciate the contribution of the U.S. to the strengthening of NATO’s eastern flank defence. The U.S. military presence in Europe is the best factor that helps to fend off Russian aggression. Lithuania takes its security seriously and makes maximum efforts to strengthen it: in the 2026-2030 period, we will raise defence spending up to 6% of GDP, re-establish a national division, expand and enhance military infrastructure, and increase investment in the defence industry,” Budrys said.

The participants of the meeting also discussed the importance of continued political and military support for Ukraine in its fight against Russia’s brutal war of aggression. The Foreign Minister stressed the need for a lasting and sustainable peace in Ukraine, which is vital for the security of Europe and the entire transatlantic space. Budrys emphasized the importance of U.S. leadership in this process.

On 5-7 February, Budrys is visiting Washington, D.C., where he will participate in the GLOBSEC Transatlantic Forum 2025 ‘Resetting the Transatlantic Agenda’ to discuss the challenges shaping transatlantic relations. During the visit, the Foreign Minister will also hold bilateral meetings with officials of the U.S. administration.