Vilnius – Agencies
Lithuania has taken an unprecedented step towards amending its constitution to remove the ban on deploying nuclear weapons and hosting foreign military bases, in a path that coincides with calls to establish a permanent US military base on its territory. This move angered Moscow, which warned of a “new round of escalation,” amid European countries strengthening their deterrence capabilities against Russia.
Today, Tuesday, the Lithuanian Parliament approved, in first reading, a constitutional amendment aimed at abolishing the ban imposed on the deployment of nuclear weapons within the country, by a majority of 106 votes, against 18 deputies opposed, and 6 abstentions. This development is based on a report prepared by journalist Reut Goldman on the Israeli Walla website, quoted by Reuters.
The decision is not considered final yet, as amending the constitution requires a second vote, which cannot be organized before three months have passed. The final round is scheduled to be held on January 12, as approval of the amendment requires the support of at least 94 deputies out of a total of 141 deputies in Parliament.
The Lithuanian Constitution currently prohibits the deployment of weapons of mass destruction and the establishment of military bases for foreign countries on its territory. Although repealing this provision would not automatically lead to the deployment of nuclear weapons, it would remove the constitutional obstacle to such a step, allowing Lithuania greater integration into the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (“NATO”) nuclear deterrence system.
This step is extremely sensitive given Lithuania’s geographical location, as it shares a border with Russia through the Kaliningrad enclave, and borders Belarus, which is a close ally of Moscow, which prompts the Kremlin to view any Western military expansion on Lithuanian territory as an extremely dangerous development.
In its first direct reaction, the Kremlin linked the Lithuanian nuclear track to a separate initiative aimed at establishing a permanent US military base in the country. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “If the military infrastructure of the country that is practically the main power in NATO, that is, the United States, is approaching our borders, this can only be seen as a step towards escalating tensions.”
The Russian position came following a statement by US President Donald Trump, yesterday, Monday, in which he confirmed that Washington would study a Lithuanian request to establish a permanent US base, saying: “We will certainly consider that.” Lithuania also announced its willingness to bear the costs of establishing the base if the United States approves.
It is noteworthy that since 2019, the United States has maintained an armored force of about a thousand soldiers in Lithuania according to a rotation system, while Vilnius is currently seeking to transform this temporary presence into a permanent deployment. Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sienkevicius explained that he proposed this step to Trump’s envoy during a meeting between them in Vilnius last month.
In a related context, the Lithuanian move coincides with a broader strengthening of the European nuclear deterrent amid escalating tensions with Russia. Today, Tuesday, France conducted the first test of its advanced ballistic missile, “M51.3,” which can be launched from submarines and is designed to carry nuclear warheads. The test took place without a nuclear warhead as part of Paris’s efforts to modernize its deterrent capabilities in response to growing European concerns about Russian threats.
With these developments, which include a possible constitutional amendment that opens the door to nuclear weapons, efforts to establish a permanent American base, and a French missile test, Eastern Europe is entering a very sensitive phase in which nuclear deterrence returns to the forefront of the existing tension equation between NATO and Moscow.
