Lithuania receives first €956.3 million payment under SAFE

On 24 June 2026, Lithuania received its first payment of € 956.3 million under the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) defence financing instrument, representing 15% of its total allocation of €6.4 billion. SAFE is a €150 billion financial instrument providing loans to Member States. It primarily funds joint procurement of ammunition, missiles, air defense, and ground combat systems produced within the EU. It is part of the European Commission's ReArm Europe/Readiness 2030 plan, which aims to unlock over €800 billion in defence investment across the European Union.

The pre-financing will support Lithuania in speeding up key defence investments, enhancing resilience, and upgrading its military capabilities in line with common European objectives. SAFE is intended to facilitate rapid, co-ordinated action, boost interoperability among European forces and reinforce Europe’s defence industry, including through joint procurement and stronger cross-border co-operation.

Andrius Kubilius, Commissioner for Defence and Space said: “This initial SAFE payment marks a milestone in our ongoing commitment to Lithuanian, European and Eastern Flank security. By strategically deploying these resources national and regional capabilities will be reinforced.”

This pre-financing payment follows the completion of all required procedural steps and reflects the EU’s commitment to providing timely, practical support through SAFE. Further payments will follow, as agreed milestones and implementation are met. 

The SAFE instrument is financed by EU borrowing on the financial markets. This enables competitively priced and attractively structured long-duration loans to requesting Member States. The terms of the SAFE loans benefit from the EU's strong credit rating. All SAFE loans will be repaid by the beneficiary Member States.