Lithuania Fortifies Borders as NATO Allies Push for More Defense Against Russia

Le Monde reported on February 17 that Lithuanian officials have warned of potential security risks if Russia rebuilds its military capabilities following a peace settlement in Ukraine.

“We don’t think Russia is ready to enter into military conflict with NATO, but if a peace agreement is reached and international sanctions are lifted, it will be able to rebuild its military power. We need to be prepared for this,” said Marius Cesnulevičius, defense adviser to the Lithuanian president.

Cesnulevičius emphasized that deterrence measures, including military aid and troop presence, are essential. “For this, we need weapons, ammunition and NATO troops on our soil,” he said.

On January 17, Lithuania announced plans to increase its defense spending, committing between 5% and 6% of GDP to military expenditures between 2026 and 2030.

The plan would double the country’s 2024 defense budget of €2.4 billion. Lithuania, a country of 2.8 million, has also pledged military aid to Ukraine amounting to 0.25% of its GDP. “Either we decide the budget or the enemy will decide for us,” Cesnulevičius said.

The announcement came three days before the inauguration of Donald Trump, who has pressured European allies to increase defense spending or risk a diminished U.S. commitment to NATO.

Currently, about 1,000 U.S. troops are stationed in Lithuania, primarily in Pabradė, an hour’s drive north of Vilnius and less than 10 kilometers from the Belarusian border.

Lithuania reinstated compulsory military service in 2015, a year after Russia’s annexation of Crimea. Each year, 4,000 young men are drafted, supplementing Lithuania’s standing force of 12,000 professional soldiers. An additional 5,000 to 6,000 volunteers train annually, and Vilnius is expanding its military reserves.

“We are in the process of creating a database of citizens who would like to put their skills at the service of the army,” said Lieutenant-General Remigijus Baltrėnas, deputy commander of the Lithuanian army.

The country is also fortifying its borders. Under an agreement with Latvia and Estonia, Lithuania is strengthening its 1,000-kilometer frontier with Belarus and Russia, a project that will connect with Poland’s East Shield defense initiative. “One weak link and disaster ensues,” Baltrėnas said.

Since mid-2024, the Lithuanian military has set up 30 storage sites across Lithuania for defensive obstacles, including “dragon’s teeth,” concrete roadblocks, barbed wire, and spike strips.

One depot, located in the Rudninkai Forest, 30 kilometers south of Vilnius, houses equipment for rapid deployment. “This is the first time we’ve prepared for war in peacetime,” said Major Edgaras Cerskus, an engineer overseeing the project.

By 2027, Lithuania is set to host a NATO military base covering 700 hectares in Rudninkai, where Germany will deploy a brigade of 5,000 troops. “We understand why the Lithuanians are afraid. My soldiers know why they are here: to defend every square inch of the country,” said General Christoph Huber, commander of Germany’s Panzerbrigade 45.

Since December 2024, a French fighter squadron has been stationed at Lithuania’s Šiauliai air base, northwest of Vilnius.

French pilots, part of NATO’s Baltic Air Policing mission, conduct rapid-response intercepts against Russian aircraft, which frequently test NATO airspace boundaries. “We’re here to show the Russians that we’re defending NATO countries – it’s a question of credibility,” said Captain Jordan, a French Rafale pilot. “It’s two sides looking at each other.”

Kaliningrad, one of Russia’s most militarized regions, remains under close surveillance. Iskander missiles, capable of carrying nuclear warheads, are stationed there, alongside air defense systems that regularly activate as NATO aircraft pass nearby.

“We stand ready to intervene while avoiding any escalation,” said Major Mathieu, the officer overseeing the French mission, in line with Lithuania’s broader strategy of deterrence.

Earlier on January 30, Lithuanian Armed Forces Commander Raimundas Vaikšnoras said Lithuania could consider deploying troops to Ukraine if the issue is raised.