Lithuania to allocate €340 mln in aid to Ukraine in 2024
Photo: from open sources
The Lithuanian government plans to support Ukraine in the next year and is expected to consider the 2024 budget bill on Thursday.
Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė announced on the national broadcaster LRT that the aid would be worth €340 million.
"For Ukraine [aid costs for 2024], we estimate a total of about 0.4% of GDP," said Šimonytė.
The Lithuanian prime minister stressed that helping Ukraine was "very important" for Lithuania. This includes not only help for Ukrainian war refugees but also general support for Ukraine.
If the European Union members fail to agree to a new support budget for Ukraine, the Lithuanian aid gains even more weight, Šimonytė added.
The European Commission proposed to revise the multi-year EU budget for 2021-2027 and create a special Ukrainian support fund with €50 billion. Rubryka reported that the European Parliament adopted a resolution supporting the EC proposal.
What we know about Lithuania's military aid to Ukraine
In late August, Lithuania announced the supply of a military aid package to Ukraine. The support included ammunition for Carl Gustaf grenade launchers, rifles, maritime surveillance radar systems, 5.56 mm ammunition, generators, and anti-drone systems.
At the end of June, Lithuania delivered Ukraine two NASAMS air defense systems, ten M113 armored personnel carriers, and ammunition. After the supply, the Lithuanian military aid to Ukraine reached €500 million.
In their turn, the Lithuanian volunteers initiated a campaign to raise €300,000 to purchase 500 kamikaze drones for Ukraine.
Rubryka reported that Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda said that Ukraine's corruption significantly influences decision-making on supplying weapons to Kyiv in Western countries.
