Lithuania’s Transport Minister, Eugenijus Sabutis said he will not seek European Union funding for the planned extension of the high-speed Rail Baltica railway section to Vilnius, citing a lack of readiness from the EU to finance this part of the project.

The national budget also lacks the necessary funds to build European-gauge railway between Kaunas and Vilnius, the minister told TV3 News on Thursday.

Kaunas, Lithuania’s second-largest city, sits on the main Rail Baltica route, while Vilnius is currently connected via a conventional rail line. Sabutis argued that the existing infrastructure is sufficient for now.

“Replacing it with a European-gauge line will definitely be necessary sooner or later, but probably not sooner,” said Sabutis.