Vilnius, Oct. 23 -- Lithuanian Defence Minister Dovile Sakaliene has resigned after a week-long dispute with Prime Minister Inga Ruginiene over the country's military budget, marking a rare public split within the Baltic nation's leadership.
The rift reportedly began after an off-the-record meeting on October 14, during which Defence Ministry officials urged journalists and social media influencers to pressure the government into increasing defence spending to 5 per cent of GDP - the target set by NATO.
Prime Minister Ruginiene condemned the meeting as "sabotage" and said she had lost confidence in Sakaliene's leadership.
On Wednesday, Sakaliene announced her resignation on Facebook, citing "fundamentally different views" with the prime ...