BAKU, Azerbaijan, September 10. 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.
“New NATO commitments require not only the largest investments in the development of our capabilities but also their faster readiness. 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. This requires additional financial resources, and one of the most attractive tools to achieve this goal is the SAFE mechanism created by the European Commission, whose conditions are particularly favorable for Lithuania,” said Deputy Minister of National Defense Karolis Aleksa.
Lithuania plans to use SAFE funds to accelerate the development of its defense capabilities. The funds will be directed to the Land Forces division, the Baltic Defense Line – counter-mobility measures and mines – as well as the maintenance and development of other Lithuanian Armed Forces capabilities.
Lithuania also plans to allocate part of the SAFE funds to support Ukraine. Various measures are planned – joint procurements with Ukraine, military equipment purchases from Ukraine or EU suppliers for Ukraine’s needs.
SAFE is a temporary loan instrument created by the European Commission, operating until the end of 2030, with a total capacity of up to 150 billion euros. The instrument will enable EU member states to carry out joint defense procurements in priority areas, from ammunition and land forces capabilities to air defense systems, naval forces, cyber, space technologies, and artificial intelligence.