Lithuania parliament votes to remove constitutional nuclear weapons ban
In short
Lithuania's parliament approved a constitutional amendment that would remove the country's ban on nuclear weapons, with 106 of 141 members voting in favour on Oct. 6. A second vote, set for Jan. 12 and requiring a two-thirds majority, is still needed. The Kremlin criticised the move as raising regional tension, while Lithuania's prime minister said he is ready to pay for a permanent U.S. military base.
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Lithuania's parliament voted on Oct. 6 to approve a constitutional amendment that would remove the country's ban on nuclear weapons, with 106 of 141 members in favour, according to Yonhap and Chosun Ilbo. Under Lithuanian law a constitutional amendment must pass two parliamentary votes, each by a two-thirds majority; Yonhap reported that a second ballot is set for Jan. 12. [ 1 , 3 ]
Lithuania's political parties agreed in July to remove the nuclear weapons clause as the regional security landscape shifted because of the threat from Russia, Yonhap reported. President Gitanas Nausėda said at the time that there were no immediate plans to station nuclear weapons in the country, but that amending the constitution would let Lithuania respond if the security situation changed. Chosun Ilbo described the amendment as repealing Article 137, which bans weapons of mass destruction including nuclear arms and bars foreign military bases, and said the first vote comfortably exceeded the 95-vote quorum, making passage at the second vote likely. [ 1 , 3 ]
Separately, Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius said Lithuania is ready to cover the cost of a permanent U.S. military base if Washington agrees to one, Yonhap reported. U.S. President Donald Trump said the previous day that he would review Lithuania's request for a permanent base. The United States has rotated an armoured battalion of about 1,000 troops through Lithuania since 2019, and the prime minister proposed to Trump's envoy during a visit to Vilnius last month that the rotation be converted into a permanent presence. [ 1 ]
Russia objected. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the parliamentary approval of the amendment raises tension in the region, and said of a permanent U.S. presence that if the United States — “de facto the leading country of NATO” — moves closer to Russia's border, it can be regarded as nothing other than a step toward heightened tension, according to Yonhap. Newsis headlined that Russia warned of “countermeasures”, without giving details. [ 1 , 2 ]
Lithuania, a member of NATO and the European Union, borders Russia's Kaliningrad exclave and Russia-allied Belarus. Chosun Ilbo said the vote formed part of an accelerating move by European countries near Russia to arm themselves. [ 1 , 3 ]
Why it matters
Lithuania is a NATO and EU member that borders Russia's Kaliningrad exclave and Russia-allied Belarus, so its decision to open the door to nuclear weapons and a permanent U.S. base touches the alliance's frontier with Russia. Moscow has already objected, saying the moves heighten tension. Any further step — a second parliamentary vote or a U.S. decision on a base — would shape security in the Baltic region.
Key facts
- Lithuania's parliament approved a constitutional amendment to remove the ban on nuclear weapons on Oct. 6, with 106 of 141 members voting in favour. [ 1 , 3 ]
- Under Lithuanian law the amendment needs a second parliamentary vote with a two-thirds majority; Yonhap reported the second ballot is set for Jan. 12. [ 1 ]
- Chosun Ilbo said the amendment repeals Article 137, which bans weapons of mass destruction including nuclear arms and bars foreign military bases. [ 3 ]
- President Gitanas Nausėda said there is no immediate plan to station nuclear weapons in Lithuania, but that the change would allow a response if the security situation changes. [ 1 ]
- Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius said Lithuania is ready to cover the cost of a permanent U.S. military base; U.S. President Donald Trump said he would review the request. [ 1 ]
- Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the parliamentary approval raises tension in the region. [ 1 ]
- Lithuania, a NATO and EU member, borders Russia's Kaliningrad exclave and Russia-allied Belarus. [ 1 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- Lithuania's parliament approved the constitutional amendment on Oct. 6 with 106 of 141 members in favour. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The amendment concerns the removal of the constitutional ban on nuclear weapons in Lithuania. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The amendment must pass a second parliamentary vote by a two-thirds majority; Yonhap reported the next ballot is set for Jan. 12. [ 1 ]
- Russia objected to the move. [ 1 , 2 ]
Still unclear
- What measures Russia might take in response. Newsis headlined that Russia warned of “countermeasures”, but no specifics were reported in any document.
- Whether Lithuania will actually host nuclear weapons. Yonhap reported President Nausėda saying there is no immediate plan to station them, a single-source statement about a future decision.
- Whether the United States will agree to a permanent military base in Lithuania. Yonhap reported only that U.S. President Donald Trump said he would review the request; no decision was reported.
- Whether the amendment will pass the second vote. Chosun Ilbo said final passage is virtually certain after the first vote cleared the quorum, while Yonhap described the second vote only as a required step that has not yet been taken.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- Yonhap reports that Lithuania's parliament approved the amendment with 106 of 141 votes on Oct. 6 and that Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov criticised the move. [ 1 ]
- Newsis headlines that Russia warned of “countermeasures” over the amendment. [ 2 ]
- Chosun Ilbo reports that the first vote cleared the 95-vote quorum and that final passage at the second vote is expected. [ 3 ]