Story perspectives

Lithuania Parliament Votes to Lift Nuclear Weapons Ban

By Drooid · Sep 22, 2026, 11:13 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Lithuania Parliament Lifts Ban

Lithuania’s parliament voted 99-13, with five abstentions, to amend the constitution and lift the nuclear weapons ban.
The amendment would repeal Article 137, removing the prohibition on weapons of mass destruction and foreign bases.
Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas said the next votes, requiring 94 of 141 members, are set for Oct. 6 and Jan. 12.
Opposition leader Laurynas Kasciunas warned the repeal does not mean Lithuania will host nuclear weapons.

Summary

Peskov Warns NATO

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov warned that NATO nuclear deployment would make Lithuania a Russian nuclear target.
Lithuania remains the only NATO member with a constitutional ban on nuclear weapons.
Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev threatened to erase Lithuania from the map if nuclear weapons are stationed there.
French President Emmanuel Macron proposed a European nuclear deterrence plan permitting temporary French nuclear forces on allied territory.

History

Historical Context

In 1991, Lithuania declared independence from the Soviet Union, ending decades of Soviet control and beginning its path toward Western integration. By 1999, NATO admitted Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia, expanding the alliance to 19 members and initiating joint defense commitments. Today, the Seimas’ vote to repeal Article 137 echoes the 1990s shift, as NATO allies United States and France debate deploying nuclear deterrence in Europe. If the amendment passes, Lithuania could host foreign bases, prompting Russian threats and reshaping the region’s strategic balance for decades.

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Lithuania Parliament Lifts Ban

Lithuania’s parliament voted 99-13, with five abstentions, to amend the constitution and lift the nuclear weapons ban.
The amendment would repeal Article 137, removing the prohibition on weapons of mass destruction and foreign bases.
Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas said the next votes, requiring 94 of 141 members, are set for Oct. 6 and Jan. 12.
Opposition leader Laurynas Kasciunas warned the repeal does not mean Lithuania will host nuclear weapons.

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