"I see no other way than to go with the strong transatlantic relations and strengthening NATO, showing that we are united," the minister said.

"We see that not all countries in Europe take this responsibility seriously," he added, referring to southern Europe, but without mentioning any specific country.

Positioned along NATO's Eastern flank, Lithuania has been a close ally of Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion in 2022.

The former Soviet-occupied Baltic state has invested 5.4 percent of its GDP in defence -- higher than NATO's five percent target for member states to reach by 2035.

"That's the largest in the whole of NATO and the whole free world, what we are spending," Budrys said.

Earlier this week, NATO's top commander, US Air Force General Alexus Grynkewich, called Lithuania a "wonderful example to follow" in terms of its contributions towards defence.

Lithuania has committed to cross-European defence -- being the second country in the EU after Poland to sign a European loan programme allocating over 6.3 billion euros ($7.35 billion) in funds to its military, and permanently stationing a brigade of 4,800 German soldiers on its territory.

But Budrys -- a former senior inspector in Lithuania's State Security Department -- emphasised that such actions cannot replace the transatlantic alliance.

European security measures are "an important element, complementary to NATO, but not as a substitute to NATO", he said.

"All these other ideas that are coming about the autonomous Europe doing whatever on our own, I'm surprised that they are most often coming from the capitals that are doing least concerning defence," he added.

A political independent invested heavily in security, Budrys, who is also a former advisor to the president, has made NATO and maintaining relations with the United States his top priorities since beginning his tenure in 2024.

"The lesson from the Cold War is that we can deter. So the Soviets were deterred, and Russia can be deterred, and not with talks," he said.

"So spend and show how you're building your capabilities," he added.