OREANDA-NEWS Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda dismissed Deauville Shakalene from the post of Minister of National Defense, the presidential press service reported.

"President Gitanas Nauseda, in accordance with the Constitution and taking into account the proposal of Prime Minister Inga Ruginene, signed a decree on the dismissal of Deauville Shakalene from the post of Minister of National Defense," the statement said.

Interior Minister Vladislav Kondratovich will serve as acting Defense Minister. The decree comes into force on October 23.

Earlier, Lithuanian media reported that Lithuanian Prime Minister Inga Ruginene submitted a motion to dismiss Defense Minister Dovile Shakalene from office due to loss of confidence. On the same day, Shakalene herself submitted her resignation to the president. It was reported about critical disagreements between the head of the Ministry of Defense and the Prime Minister of Lithuania over the defense budget for 2026.

Earlier, the government of the republic announced that 5.38% of GDP would be allocated to defense in the state budget for 2026. However, this figure was subsequently reduced to 4.87%.

In 2025, about 3 billion euros are planned for military needs in the Lithuanian budget, which is about 4% of the republic's GDP.