Poland and the Baltic states allocated roughly 5% of gross domestic product to defense spending in their 2027 budgets, achieving NATO's 2035 goal a decade early, while other alliance members on Russia's border lag significantly behind.
Lithuania's Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius seeks to restore diplomatic relations with China after tensions escalated following Taiwan's 2021 representative office opening, while maintaining Taiwan ties amid ongoing trade pressures.
Lithuania's new Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius called the 2021 decision to allow Taiwan's de-facto embassy "maybe too brave," signaling intent to normalize relations with China, which had downgraded diplomatic ties and imposed trade sanctions since the office opened.