Brussels: The European Commission has allocated funds under the new ‘Security Action for Europe’ (SAFE) instrument, aimed at strengthening the defense capabilities of EU member states, Trend reports citing the Ministry of National Defense of Lithuania. Lithuania has been allocated 6.375 billion euros. This exceeds the minimum requested amount of 5 billion euros indicated in the application submitted by the Ministry of National Defense.
According to Trend News Agency, Deputy Minister of National Defense Karolis Aleksa emphasized the need for substantial investments to meet new NATO commitments. He stated, “Our main goal is to fully prepare Lithuania’s Land Forces division by 2030, equipping it with combat, support, and logistics systems, as well as the necessary ammunition reserves.” The SAFE mechanism, with its favorable conditions for Lithuania, is seen as a crucial tool for achieving this objective.
Lithuania plans to utilize SAFE funds to enhance its defense capabilities, focusing on the Land Forces division and the Baltic Defense Line, which includes counter-mobility measures and mines. Additionally, the funds will support the maintenance and development of other Lithuanian Armed Forces capabilities.
Moreover, Lithuania intends to allocate part of the SAFE funds to support Ukraine through various measures, including joint procurements and military equipment purchases, either directly from Ukraine or EU suppliers, to meet Ukraine’s needs.
SAFE, a temporary loan instrument created by the European Commission, operates until the end of 2030 and has a total capacity of up to 150 billion euros. It enables EU member states to conduct joint defense procurements in priority areas such as ammunition, land forces capabilities, air defense systems, naval forces, cyber, space technologies, and artificial intelligence.