BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 1. Lithuanian Deputy Ministers of National Defense Tomas Godliauskas and Orijana Mašalė met with Polish Deputy Defense Minister Cezary Tomczyk in Vilnius to discuss strategically important military mobility initiatives aimed at strengthening NATO’s eastern flank and improving regional troop movement, Trend reports.
The talks covered the "Eastern Shield" and "Baltic Defense Line" projects, a unified NATO fuel reserve system, and military infrastructure development, including the Rūdninkai military base, the largest defense infrastructure project in Lithuania’s history.
Over the next ten years, Lithuania plans to invest 1.1 billion euros to strengthen its countermobility arsenal. In June, leaders from the Baltic States and Poland sent a joint letter to the European Commission, highlighting the significance of this project for Europe’s collective defense. In July, defense ministers from the same countries submitted a concept for protecting the EU’s eastern border, outlining capability needs and funding requirements.
“We are working with Poland and the other Baltic States to ensure that the Eastern Shield and Baltic Defense Line become top priorities within the European Union. We are seeking funding not only through the EU’s ReArm initiative but also through the long-term Multiannual Financial Framework,” said Deputy Minister Godliauskas during the visit to the countermobility equipment park at the Rūdninkai training area.
“We want to show that the Eastern Shield and Baltic Defense Line are truly one shared project. The border between Poland and Lithuania is not only a national border, but also a frontier of the EU and NATO. All of Europe must recognize this and dedicate proper investments,” emphasized Polish Deputy Defense Minister Tomczyk.
Deputy Minister Mašalė, responsible for military infrastructure, stressed the importance of fuel supply security: “NATO’s fuel supply network was established in 1958 to ensure operational readiness during crises. Connecting our fuel reserve system with Poland is crucial for effectively supporting allied troops.”
She also called for greater Polish business involvement in Lithuanian defense infrastructure development, noting that defense investment offers growth opportunities for businesses and strengthens national economies.
The deputy ministers also discussed joint drone and anti-tank mine procurements under the EU’s SAFE funding program, military mobility corridors within the EU and NATO, Poland’s air policing mission at Lithuania’s Šiauliai Air Base, joint defense projects, continued support for Ukraine, and transatlantic cooperation. Both countries remain among the EU’s leaders in defense spending and are committed to increasing defense budgets to 5 percent of GDP by 2026 — well above NATO’s baseline requirement.
The implementation of Lithuania’s countermobility concept will continue through 2028, with the support of all available EU funding instruments. A long-term maintenance and modernization phase will begin in 2029.
Lithuania has already established 27 defensive engineering parks near the borders with Russia and Belarus, equipped with “dragon’s teeth,” road barriers, tank traps, and other tactical fortifications. Additional measures include the restoration of drainage ditches, the planting of roadside tree lines, and the fortification of river crossings along the Nemunas.
These measures form a key part of the EU’s eastern border defense strategy and NATO’s broader defense planning, aimed at increasing deterrence and strengthening the country’s defensive capabilities in the face of any potential threat.