Lithuania's president and prime minister will face off in the second round of the Baltic state's presidential vote on May 26 after the incumbent failed to win an overall majority in the first round on Sunday, May 13.
With almost all the ballots counted in the Baltic state which was once part of the Soviet Union, President Gitanas Nauseda was ahead with 46% of the vote while Prime Minister Ingrida Simonyte had 16%.
The election has been dominated by fears over neighboring Russia and all the main candidates in the vote agreed the NATO and EU member should boost defense spending to counter the perceived threat.
Nauseda, a 59-year-old former banker, said he was confident of victory in the second round and would require "no strategy" to campaign against Simonyte. His rival is a 49-year-old fiscal conservative with liberal views on social issues. She notably supports same-sex partnerships, which still stir controversy in the predominantly Catholic country.
Opinion polls in the run-up to the vote gave Nauseda a comfortable lead over the other seven candidates, including Simonyte and prominent lawyer Ignas Vegele.
Turnout was more than 59% – the highest result since the 1997 presidential election.
Lithuania, which has a population of 2.8 million people, is a top donor to Ukraine and a big defense spender, with a military budget currently equal to 2.75% of GDP.
The Simonyte-led government is expected to come forward with proposals within weeks that could help lift defense spending to three% of GDP.
Lithuania intends to use the funds to purchase tanks and additional air defense systems, and to host a German brigade, as Berlin plans to complete the stationing of around 5,000 troops by 2027.