Lithuania moves to lift constitutional ban on nuclear weapons

Lithuania's parliament on Tuesday approved the first reading of a constitutional amendment that would lift the country's ban on nuclear weapons, with 106 lawmakers voting in favor, 18 against and six abstaining, according to broadcaster LRT. The measure seeks to remove the prohibition on weapons of mass destruction from the constitution and requires approval by at least 94 of the 141 members of parliament to pass its final reading scheduled for Jan. 12.

Officials cite deterrence

Parliament Speaker Juozas Olekas said the repeal would strengthen Lithuania’s resilience and deterrence capabilities while eliminating legal exceptions that set the country apart from other EU and NATO members. "By addressing the legal exceptions that Lithuania had compared with other EU and NATO countries, they will be gone and we will be equal," Olekas said ahead of the vote.

Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas emphasized the significance of deterrence and urged lawmakers to utilize all available options to bolster national security. "If Russia had not started the war in Ukraine, we probably would not be having the discussions we are having today," Kaunas said, underscoring the changed security environment in the region.

Strategic implications

The constitutional change would theoretically permit the stationing of allied nuclear weapons on Lithuanian soil, aligning Vilnius with NATO's broader nuclear sharing arrangements. The amendment's passage through the first reading marks a significant shift in the Baltic state's defense posture since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.