United States is set to end military assistance to European countries near Russia, pushing them to take greater responsibility for their own defense, according to Lithuanian defense official Vaidotas Urbelis.
The U.S. Defense Department informed these countries that funding will drop to zero starting next financial period, impacting programs for training and equipping Eastern European militaries. The decision, reported by The Washington Post and The Financial Times, aligns with President Trump’s efforts to reduce U.S. overseas spending and follows a January executive order reevaluating foreign aid.
The cuts, worth several hundred million dollars, will affect purchases of U.S. weapons, equipment, and training in countries like Lithuania, though U.S. troop presence in the region remains unaffected. Estonia’s Defense Minister called the move symbolically negative.
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