Lithuania’s President Gitanas Nausėda on Monday appointed Robertas Kaunas as defense minister and Vaida Aleknavičienė as culture minister.

Kaunas, a Social Democrat whose defense experience is limited to just over a month on the Seimas National Security and Defense Committee (NSGK), was nominated by Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė.

Before meeting with the candidate, the president said he had expected “less expertise” in certain areas but was pleasantly surprised.

“Mr. Kaunas was well-prepared and answered those questions,” Nausėda told journalists, according to news agency BNS.

A day before the nomination, former defense deputy minister, Giedrimas Jeglinskas, from the center-left Union of Democrats “For Lithuania” party, said: “This is a lottery in which Lithuania’s security is at stake, and that is probably what worries me the most.”

In response to criticism, Kaunas wrote on Facebook that “criticism is necessary to keep us vigilant, but the doubts it raises are unfounded.”

The defense portfolio became vacant after Ruginienė dismissed the previous minister, Dovilė Šakalienė, on Oct. 22 amid a dispute over Lithuania’s defense budget.

The government has proposed spending a record 5.38 percent of GDP for defense in 2026, which still requires parliamentary approval.

“This unprecedented budget sends a strong signal to our NATO partners that Lithuania is a reliable member of the Alliance, fully aware of its geographical position and of the intentions of our neighbors to the east,” Kaunas said. He added that Lithuania will be ready to host a German brigade by the end of 2027.

Kaunas vowed to strengthen Lithuania’s defense through smart planning, advanced technologies, and improved conditions for both Lithuanian troops and allied forces, while continuing to support Ukraine.

“Developing the defense industry in Lithuania, together with Western partners, is a priority for our security and, at the same time, a stimulus for economic growth,” he said.

Finding a defense minister took less than three weeks — half the time it took to replace former culture minister Ignotas Adomavičius, who resigned after just one week in office following public backlash and protests from Lithuania’s cultural community over the allocation of the ministry to the populist Dawn of Nemunas party.