Secretary General and Lithuanian Prime Minister discuss eastern flank defence, drones and support for Ukraine

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On Tuesday (29 September 2026), NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte met with Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius of Lithuania at NATO Headquarters. The Secretary General welcomed the Prime Minister on his first visit in that role and said they had discussed how to keep NATO strong and Lithuania safe. “NATO defends every inch of Allied territory, against any threat, from any direction,” Mr. Rutte said. He highlighted how Italian jets deployed by NATO from Šiauliai airbase downed a drone that violated Lithuania’s airspace on 15 September: “This is collective defence in action.”

Mr. Rutte said NATO is strengthening integrated air and missile defence and adapting its posture against drones through initiatives including Drone Edge. The Secretary General also underlined NATO’s presence in the Baltic Sea and the Forward Land Forces based in Lithuania, welcoming investment in the Rūdninkai training area to host these troops. “Lithuania leads by example on defence investment. This year, you are expected to reach 5.38% of GDP for core defence spending. Lithuania doesn’t just meet its commitments; it sets the standards.”

On Ukraine, he highlighted Lithuania’s commitment of at least 0.25% of GDP annually in military assistance, 38 million dollars contributed to Ukraine’s defence industry, and support for energy infrastructure and railway locomotives. “Russia is failing. It is failing on the battlefield in Ukraine, and it is failing to undermine our unity and support for Ukraine. Our message to Moscow is clear: we will do even more for Ukraine, not less.”