Lithuania moves to lift constitutional ban on nuclear weapons

The Lithuanian parliament, the Seimas, voted on October 6, 2026, to approve the first of two required readings to lift the country's three-decade-old constitutional ban on nuclear weapons. A total of 106 out of 141 lawmakers voted in favor of the amendment, while 18 voted against it and six abstained. The final vote on this constitutional change is scheduled for January 12.

President Gitanas Nauseda, who secured cross-party agreement on this plan in July, emphasized that there are currently no immediate plans to store nuclear weapons in Lithuania. Instead, the initiative serves as a strategic adjustment to regional security concerns caused by Russia’s aggressive foreign policy. Lithuania remains committed to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

In response to the vote, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned that the potential deployment of NATO military infrastructure or nuclear assets in Lithuania would be viewed as a serious escalation. Peskov stated that Russia would be compelled to take necessary countermeasures to ensure its national security should these plans proceed.