Lithuania’s parliament on Tuesday took the first step toward lifting a ban on the deployment of nuclear weapons in its territory, a move that comes after President Trump said he’s considering establishing a permanent US military base in the country.
One hundred and six members of Lithuania’s 141-seat unicameral parliament, the Seimas, voted to advance a constitutional amendment that would repeal a ban on weapons of mass destruction and foreign military bases in Lithuania.
A second vote is needed to advance the amendment, and that will be held on January 12, 2027. At least 94 members of the Seimas must support it for the change to be made.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda announced in July that he was initiating an amendment to repeal the ban, outlined in Article 137 of the Lithuanian Constitution, and said the idea has “practically unanimous” support in the Seimas.
Nauseda and other proponents of repealing the ban say it’s needed for Lithuania to fully participate in NATO’s “nuclear deterrence.” The move will open up Lithuania to potentially host US nuclear weapons under NATO’s nuclear sharing program, under which the US has nukes deployed in Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Turkey.
Lithuania’s move comes after Finland, which, like Lithuania, shares a border with Russia, lifted its prohibition on nuclear weapons. Russia strongly condemned both moves and has warned it will respond.
“Neither of these developments will contribute to stability and predictability on the European continent,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Tuesday, referring to Lithuania’s parliament voting to repeal both the ban on nuclear weapons and foreign military bases.
“On the contrary, they will, to our regret, mark yet another significant escalation of tensions. As for Russia, of course, Moscow will be forced to take all necessary measures to guarantee its own security,” Peskov added.
The US has troops deployed in Lithuania on a rotational basis but doesn’t have a permanent base in the country, something Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius has said the country is willing to fund. When asked about the proposal, President Trump said he would consider it.
“They’re friends of mine; they’re great people, so we’ll certainly look at it. They are great people,” Trump said. “I know so many people in that country; they’re great people.”
