Dovilė Šakalienė has resigned from the position of Minister of Defense of Lithuania due to the loss of confidence from the Prime Minister and her party leader.

Dovilė Šakalienė, the Minister of Defense of Lithuania, announced on Tuesday that she will resign, citing a loss of confidence from Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė and the President of the Social Democratic Party, Mindaugas Sinkevičius. The decision came after a public dispute with Ruginienė, who criticized her for lobbying in favor of the ministry's budget without informing the government. Ruginienė requested explanations regarding an informal meeting of the Ministry of Defense with influencers about the budget for 2026. The Prime Minister decided to withdraw Šakalienė's responsibility for the defense industry, stating that confidence had deteriorated.

Although she intended to meet with President Gitanas Nausėda before submitting her resignation, Šakalienė emphasized that her decision is final. Lithuania plans to spend 5.38% of GDP on defense in 2026, exceeding the NATO target of 5%.