In a significant shift amid heightened regional security concerns, Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda has initiated a constitutional amendment to remove the country’s longstanding prohibition on the deployment of nuclear weapons.
Speaking after a meeting with parliamentary leaders and government officials on Thursday, President Nausėda announced broad political consensus to repeal or remove Article 137 of Lithuania’s Constitution.
The article currently bans the stationing of weapons of mass destruction and foreign military bases on Lithuanian territory.
“A few days ago, I initiated a constitutional amendment to remove the current restriction on the possible deployment of nuclear weapons in Lithuania.
This amendment would enable Lithuania to participate in NATO’s collective nuclear deterrence,” Nausėda stated, as reported by Family Writers Press International.
The move aligns Lithuania more closely with other NATO allies. It follows a similar decision by Finland, another NATO member bordering Russia, to lift its own ban on nuclear weapons.
Lithuanian leaders emphasized that the existing provision, adopted after independence from the Soviet Union, has become outdated in the current security environment.
Parliament Speaker and other faction leaders expressed near-unanimous support, with many viewing the repeal as necessary to avoid Lithuania remaining in a “gray zone” within the alliance.
No immediate plans exist to host nuclear weapons, but the change would allow flexibility if the security situation deteriorates further due to threats from Russia.
The amendment requires two-thirds majorities in two separate parliamentary votes to pass. President Nausėda has advocated for parliamentary approval rather than a time-consuming referendum.
This development underscores growing concerns in the Baltic states over Russian hybrid threats and conventional military posturing.
Lithuania, a staunch supporter of Ukraine, has consistently pushed for stronger NATO defenses along the eastern flank.
