Lithuanian election winner promises to bolster defence to counter Russia threat

Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, the leader of Lithuania’s Social Democratic party which won 52 out of 141 seats in Sunday’s parliamentary elections. Photograph: Ints Kalniņš/Reuters

Lithuania’s opposition Social Democratic party has promised to spend “as much money as is needed” on security and defence to counter a potential threat from Russia after it finished a comfortable first in Sunday’s parliamentary elections.

“Our election manifesto says it should be not less than 3.5% [of GDP], and this is unavoidable,” the Social Democrat leader and MEP, Vilija Blinkevičiūtė, said on Monday after her centre-left party won 52 seats in the 141-member parliament.