Lithuania opens the door to nuclear weapons. The Kremlin threatens to respond

On Tuesday, the Lithuanian Parliament adopted in the first reading a draft amendment to the constitution, which removes the ban on deploying weapons of mass destruction on Lithuanian territory. 106 deputies voted for the change, 18 were against and six abstained.

Changing the constitution requires the support of at least two-thirds of all parliamentarians in two separate votes, with a minimum of three months between them.

The final vote is scheduled for January 12 next year.

Strengthening deterrence

Speaker of the Parliament Juozas Olekas emphasized that lifting the ban will increase Lithuania's resilience and deterrence capabilities and will allow it to fully participate in NATO's nuclear deterrence plans.

With the current constraints, we cannot fully participate in NATO's plans for nuclear deterrence. Since nuclear deterrence is the "queen" of deterrence, this decision is of strategic importance, Olekas explained.

Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas noted that the decision is a direct response to Russian aggression against Ukraine. We are reacting to Russian aggression. If Russia had not started the war in Ukraine, we probably would not have to conduct today's considerations, Kaunas said.

Russia warns against escalation

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that Lithuania's lifting of the constitutional ban on deploying weapons of mass destruction could lead to another escalation in the region.

If the military infrastructure of a country that is in practice the main NATO country, i.e. the USA, is approaching our borders, it cannot be perceived as anything other than a step towards the escalation of tensions, Peskov said.