Relationship dossier
Lithuania
United Kingdom
Relationship assessment
Close security partners, with cooperation through the Joint Expeditionary Force and support for Ukraine.
Lithuania toward United Kingdom
+55Lithuania participates in the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, contributing to a multilateral framework for rapid military cooperation. The Lithuanian government has also supported Ukraine alongside the United Kingdom, reflecting shared security priorities.
United Kingdom toward Lithuania
+60The United Kingdom leads the Joint Expeditionary Force, in which Lithuania participates, providing a framework for practical security cooperation. The UK government has also supported Ukraine alongside Lithuania and cooperates with it on European security through NATO and related initiatives.
Overall relationship
+60The relationship is anchored in sustained defence and security cooperation, including Lithuania’s participation in the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force and shared support for Ukraine. NATO provides a further setting for cooperation. These ties are substantial, but the relationship is most clearly defined by security rather than a broad range of distinctive bilateral arrangements.
How to read these scores
Scores are rough judgments, not objective measurements or current verification. Directional scores describe government policy and conduct, not public opinion. The overall score is an independent estimate, never an average.
- −100
- Extreme sustained hostility
- −50
- Substantially adversarial
- 0
- Mixed or neutral, supported by knowledge
- +50
- Substantially cooperative
- +100
- Exceptionally close sustained partnership
“Not assessed” means there is no recorded score. Pair existence makes no claim about diplomatic recognition or established relations.
Relationship context
Overview
Lithuania and the United Kingdom maintain a close security relationship, reinforced by NATO cooperation and the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, in which Lithuania participates. Both governments have supported Ukraine in response to Russia’s invasion. Their cooperation is substantial, particularly on defence and European security, though it does not amount to an unusually comprehensive partnership across all policy areas.
Key developments
Lithuania became a participant in the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, establishing a framework for multinational military cooperation.
Major uncertainties
- The scope and implementation of bilateral defence cooperation arrangements are unclear.
- The extent of cooperation outside defence and European security is less clear.