Lithuania secures €300 million EIB loan to boost defence on EU’s eastern border

This article is published in association with European Investment Bank.

• EIB further steps up support for Lithuania’s strategic defence investments
• Financing strengthens EU crisis preparedness and cohesion in the Baltics
• EIB has committed €1 billion to strengthen Lithuania’s defence this year

In yet another major step to reinforce European security, the European Investment Bank (EIB) is providing €300 million to the Lithuanian government for investments in military infrastructure. The loan marks a strategic milestone in reinforcing the EU’s eastern border, where Lithuania plays a key role in NATO’s collective defence and rapid-response capabilities.

The financing will help Lithuania strengthen its defence capabilities through investments in key areas: harbour boats for piloting and towing, medical transport and equipment, and new infrastructure for residential, administrative, training, transport and logistics needs. The upgrades will support the Lithuanian Armed Forces and help meet North Atlantic Treaty Organization commitments.

The signed loan is part of a broader €500 million investment package approved by the EIB for this operation. It complements a €540 million loan approved earlier this year for the NATO military base in Rūdninkai, along with advisory support. Together, this brings EIB Group support for Lithuania’s defence to over €1 billion in 2025.

“Within just a year, the EIB has provided over one billion euros in support for Lithuania’s defence investments,” said Lithuanian Minister of Finance Kristupas Vaitiekūnas. “This includes today’s agreement as well as earlier support for the new NATO base in Rūdninkai. These investments are substantial for strengthening our national defence and contributing to Europe’s collective security. We welcome this partnership with our European bank, which is capable of rapidly mobilizing financial resources and responding effectively to the needs of member states“.

The EIB loan, which has a maturity of 25 years, will co-finance Lithuania’s 2024–2030 defence investments.

“This agreement reflects the EIB’s evolving role in supporting EU member states on the Eastern border,” said EIB Vice-President Karl Nehammer, responsible for operations in Lithuania. “Lithuania has shown leadership in strengthening Europe’s collective security and resilience. We are proud to support its efforts to invest in defence infrastructure that benefits both national and European stability.”

The EIB Group is on track to meet its goal to more than triple its security and defence investment volumes this year to a record high, committing over 3.5% of its annual lending for projects that reinforce Europe’s deterrence capabilities. Earlier this year, the Group expanded the scope of its activities to include investments purely dedicated to military uses, marking a significant strategic shift.

It now has a robust pipeline of around 30 flagship operations across the EU, focusing on key priorities: border and critical infrastructure protection, including defences against enemy drones and for Europe’s Eastern flank, as well as military mobility; strengthening industrial capabilities; advancing European innovation through strategic technology development; facilitating access to finance for small and medium-sized companies across the security and defence supply chain; and boosting the emerging venture capital ecosystem in security and defence, with investments already committed to several dedicated funds.

Background information  

EIB Group

The European Investment Bank (ElB) is the long-term lending institution of the European Union, owned by its Member States. Built around eight core priorities, the EIB finances investments that contribute to EU policy objectives by bolstering climate action and the environment, digitalisation and technological innovation, security and defence, cohesion, agriculture and the bioeconomy, social infrastructure, the capital markets union and a stronger Europe in a more peaceful and prosperous world. The EIB Group, which also includes the European Investment Fund (EIF), signed nearly €89 billion in new financing for over 900 high-impact projects in 2024, boosting Europe’s competitiveness and security.   

Since 2024, the EIB Group has made security and defence a strategic priority, revising its lending policy and launching a dedicated Security and Defence Office. In 2025, it aims to allocate €3.5 billion (3.5% of total financing) to defence-related projects. The Group is reviewing around 80 proposals that strengthen EU security, in close coordination with NATO, the European Commission, and other partners.

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