Lithuania moves to lift nuclear weapons ban as Kremlin threatens measures
Lithuania’s Seimas backed a constitutional amendment in its first reading that would remove the country’s ban on stationing nuclear weapons on its territory, LRT reported on Oct. 6.
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.
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