First confirmation of weapons of mass destruction in Lithuania

According to the news of Lithuanian National Radio and Television (LRT), the amendment that abolishes the constitutional provision prohibiting the possession of weapons of mass destruction on Lithuanian territory was discussed in the parliament today.

In his statement before the vote, Parliament Speaker Juozas Olekas said that lifting the ban would strengthen Lithuania's resilience and deterrence capacity.

Olekas emphasized that with the lifting of the ban, Lithuania's constitutional restriction on the deployment of weapons of mass destruction will become the same as the legal situation in other EU and NATO countries.

Lithuanian Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas also pointed out the importance of deterrence and stated that politicians should use all available tools to ensure the security of the country.

Stating that Lithuania is surrounded by countries with strategic weapons, Kaunas pointed out the Kaliningrad exclave in the westernmost part of Russia and Belarus.

Describing the proposed constitutional amendment as a response to Moscow's actions, Kaunas said, "If Russia had not started the war in Ukraine, we would probably not be having the discussions we are having today." he said.

In the voting, deputies supported the amendment with 106 votes, while 18 deputies voted against it and 6 deputies abstained.

Another vote must be held in parliament for the constitutional amendment to be accepted. Parliament Speaker Olekas announced that the final vote on the removal of the constitutional provision banning the possession of weapons of mass destruction in Lithuania is planned to be held on January 12, 2027.

While the Parliament was discussing the amendment proposal on September 22, 99 MPs voted in support, 13 MPs voted against it, and 5 MPs abstained.

Article 137 of the Constitution states that weapons of mass destruction and military bases of foreign states cannot currently be found on Lithuanian territory. It is envisaged that this provision will be abolished with the amendment discussed in the Parliament.

Discussions in Lithuania intensified following French President Emmanuel Macron's proposal to establish a new nuclear deterrent system for Europe and the news that the United States is considering the option of deploying nuclear weapons to some additional NATO countries.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda stated that most of the political group leaders in the parliament agreed on the removal of the constitutional article prohibiting the possession of weapons of mass destruction in the country.

Kremlin Spokesperson Dmitriy Peskov stated that if nuclear weapons are deployed in Lithuania, this country's territory will be the target of Russian nuclear weapons, and added, "This will seriously tense the situation." He used the following expressions.