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Lithuania Puts €30 Million on the Table to Help Arm Ukraine With US-Made Patriot Missiles
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Lithuania has announced plans to allocate up to €30 million to support Ukraine’s acquisition of US-made Patriot air defense systems.
The initiative was confirmed by Defense Minister Dovilė Šakalienė during a meeting with US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth on July 25 in Washington, D.C.
According to Šakalienė, the funding will contribute to the broader NATO-led effort to provide Ukraine with Western air defense systems. “Lithuania is ready to contribute to the supply of Patriot systems to Ukraine,” she said, emphasizing that the purchase would be fully financed by NATO allies.
The minister also reiterated support for US President Donald Trump’s decision to supply American-made weapons to Ukraine under the alliance’s collective funding framework.
In addition to this contribution, Lithuania is preparing to expand its defense infrastructure. Šakalienė noted that new training facilities and military infrastructure will open this fall for US troops stationed in Lithuania since 2019. The country’s investments in these projects have already exceeded $200 million.
She added that the new training areas will provide capabilities for ground and air force exercises, as well as drone operations and electronic warfare training. “This confirms the strategic importance of the new Lithuanian training ground,” she said.
The statement was made during a joint visit by the defense ministers of the Baltic states to the United States, highlighting regional cooperation in support of Ukraine and NATO’s eastern flank.
Earlier, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy announced that Ukraine is working to secure 10 Patriot air defense systems and $65 billion in annual defense funding, including $25 billion for domestic drone production. So far, three systems have been confirmed—two from Germany and one from Norway—while negotiations continue with other partners.
