Lithuania parliament votes to lift nuclear weapons ban, drawing Russian warnings

Lithuania’s parliament on Tuesday voted to remove a constitutional ban on hosting nuclear weapons, advancing a proposal that would allow the NATO member to station such arms on its territory.
The Seimas backed the amendment with 99 lawmakers in favor, 13 against, and five abstentions. Two additional votes are required for passage, scheduled for October 6 and January 12, 2027, with at least 94 of 141 MPs needed to approve it each time. The measure would repeal Article 137, which prohibits weapons of mass destruction and foreign military bases in Lithuania.
Russian officials warned of security consequences. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Lithuania could become a target of Russian nuclear weapons if it allowed foreign nuclear arms on its soil. Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova called the proposal “absolutely irresponsible,” accusing NATO of provocative policies. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda supports lifting the restriction, arguing it strengthens deterrence against Russia.
The vote follows reports in June that the U.S. was negotiating the stationing of nuclear weapons in Poland and the Baltic states. NATO already operates a nuclear-sharing program with U.S. weapons in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, and Türkiye. Russia has stationed nuclear weapons in Belarus since its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
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