Lithuania’s parliament, the Seimas, has backed a constitutional amendment in its first reading that would remove the ban on weapons of mass destruction being present in the country. A total of 106 lawmakers voted in favor, 18 opposed the amendment, and six abstained.
This was reported by LRT.
The final vote may take place no earlier than three months from now. Speaker of the Seimas Juozas Olekas has said it is planned for January 12, 2027. The amendment will require the support of at least 94 of the 141 lawmakers.
Article 137 of Lithuania’s Constitution currently prohibits weapons of mass destruction and foreign military bases from being located on the country’s territory.
According to Olekas, removing the restriction should strengthen the country’s resilience and deterrence capabilities.
Laurynas Kasčiūnas, leader of the opposition conservatives, noted that the current ban prevents Lithuania from fully participating in NATO’s nuclear deterrence plans. In particular, under the existing rules, allied aircraft or ships carrying nuclear weapons cannot enter Lithuanian territory.
Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas directly linked the constitutional review to Russian aggression.
“We are responding to Russia’s aggression. If Russia had not started the war in Ukraine, we probably would not be having the discussions we are having today,” he said.
The amendment was opposed mainly by lawmakers from the opposition Dawn of Nemunas party. Its representatives proposed putting the issue to a referendum.
Earlier, French President Emmanuel Macron proposed developing a new European nuclear deterrence model that could include the temporary deployment of French strategic forces in partner countries.
