Social Democrat leader Mindaugas Sinkevicius became Lithuania’s new prime minister on Tuesday after parliament approved his government program, paving the way for his Cabinet to take office.Lithuania, a member of both NATO and the European Union, shares borders with Russia and Belarus. The Baltic nation is NATO’s highest defense spender as a share of its economy, with an estimated 5.33% of its gross domestic product (GDP) allocated to defense this year.Presenting his government’s program, Sinkevičius promised to keep defense spending above 5% of GDP, continue demanding the presence of US troops in Lithuania as a deterrent against Russia, and maintain support for Ukraine.“It would be a mistake to believe that the Russian military threat is diminishing because of the huge losses it is now suffering,” Sinkevičius told parliament, referring to Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.Sinkevicius replaced fellow Social Democrat Inga Ragininen, who had served as Prime Minister since last year. She stepped aside to allow the party leader to take power following recent political turmoil within the ruling coalition.The new centre-left coalition includes the Social Democrats, For Lithuania and the Farmers and Green Union, giving the government a narrow parliamentary majority.The populist Nemunas Don party, whose leader is accused of inciting hatred against Jews and downplaying the Holocaust, is no longer part of the ruling coalition.In the 141-member parliament, 72 MPs voted in favor of the government’s programme, while 29 opposed it and four abstained. The remaining members remained absent.Lithuania’s next parliamentary elections are scheduled for October 2028.(With inputs from Reuters)