Lithuania’s parliament has approved a change in its first vote that would lift the country’s ban on nuclear weapons, Reuters reported. The legislative change must pass a second vote to take effect, BTA reported.
In today’s vote, 106 out of 141 MPs supported the proposal. The second vote is scheduled for January 12.
Nauseda stressed that there are currently no plans to deploy nuclear weapons on Lithuanian territory. However, he said that lifting the constitutional ban would allow the country to take necessary action if the security situation changes.
The president also stated in July that Lithuania would remain a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
In parallel with the discussion of changes in security policy, Lithuania has announced its readiness to bear the costs of establishing a permanent US military base on its territory if Washington accepts the proposal. This was announced by Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius.
US President Donald Trump said yesterday that he would consider Lithuania’s request for a permanent US military presence.
The Baltic state, a member of the European Union and NATO and bordering Russia and its ally Belarus, has been hosting a rotating U.S. armored battalion of nearly 1,000 troops since 2019, Reuters notes.
Sinkevičius said he had proposed to US envoy John Cole last month that the current rotational presence be made permanent. “This is an extremely important guarantee of deterrence and security,” the prime minister said, adding that Lithuania was ready to cover the costs associated with the permanent deployment of US troops.
