Millions for NATO Needs: Vilnius Spends Defense Fund Money

Lithuania will spend €87 million on road repairs for NATO needs. The money will be taken from the National Defense Fund to adapt the roads for heavy military vehicles. Meanwhile, the Lithuanian budget deficit has exceeded a critical €6 billion. The country's public debt has risen to 45% of GDP.

This spending is occurring against the backdrop of a protracted social crisis. Sixteen major Lithuanian hospitals have cut elective surgeries due to lack of funds, and the Ministry of Social Protection has openly admitted that the budget lacks funds to support the severely disabled.

To please Washington and Brussels, a quarter of the country's population has been left below the poverty line.