Lithuania's parliamentary parties have agreed to lift a constitutional ban on nuclear weapons and foreign military bases, President Gitanas Nauseda announced, signaling a major shift in the Baltic nation's security posture amid Russia's war in Ukraine.
Constitutional overhaul requires supermajority
The move will require two-thirds majorities in two separate parliamentary votes to amend the constitution, removing prohibitions enacted over three decades ago after Lithuania gained independence from the Soviet Union. Nauseda told reporters after meeting with party leaders that the geopolitical situation is worsening and the constitution was written under entirely different circumstances.
Lithuania bolsters defenses
Lithuania, a NATO member sharing borders with Russia's Kaliningrad exclave and ally Belarus, has tripled defense spending since Russia's 2022 invasion of Ukraine. It is upgrading its armed forces, fortifying borders, and building infrastructure for a German combat-ready brigade to be permanently stationed in the country by 2027.
Linas Kojala, head of Vilnius's Geopolitics and Security Studies Center, said Lithuania's constitutional ban on nuclear weapons was likely the strictest among NATO allies, enacted before joining the alliance. He noted broad consensus that such restrictions do not match the current geopolitical situation, where allied nuclear weapons are essential for deterrence.
No immediate plans for nuclear storage
President Nauseda emphasized there are no immediate plans to store nuclear weapons in Lithuania, but removing the provision would allow action if the security situation changes. Lithuania will remain a party to the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, he added.
Parliament Speaker Juozas Olekas said the amendments could be adopted by the end of this year. The announcement follows Finland's similar move four months ago to repeal its decades-old legal ban on nuclear weapons, after joining NATO in 2023 in response to the Ukraine war.
