Kremlin Warns Lithuania Lifting Nuclear Arms Ban Risks Escalation
The move comes on the heels of Estonia announcing it was moving its troops closer to the country's border with Russia.
On Tuesday, the Kremlin cautioned that Lithuania's preliminary decision to lift a constitutional ban on hosting nuclear arms could heighten regional tensions. Lithuania's parliament approved the removal of the ban on Tuesday, marking the first of two required votes. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov commented on the development, expressing concern that Russian military infrastructure moving closer to Lithuania's borders could be seen as a step towards escalating tensions.
He also raised concerns about the deployment of nuclear weapons on neighboring state territory, stating neither development would contribute to stability. Lithuania, an EU and NATO member, borders Russia and its ally Belarus, with the US maintaining an armored battalion in Lithuania since 2019. The nuclear arms ban removal requires a two-thirds majority in two parliamentary votes and aims to remove prohibitions implemented over three decades ago after Lithuania's independence from the Soviet Union.
Written by urgent.news from Daily Maverick's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
This story
This is one outlet's version. Read the fullest account.
