Lithuanian parliament advances bid to remove ban on nuclear weapons

Lithuania's parliament on Tuesday passed the first reading of an amendment seeking to remove the constitutional ban on nuclear weapons, according to broadcaster LRT.

The parliament backed the amendment, which aims to remove the ban on weapons of mass destruction from the country's constitution, with 106 lawmakers voting in favor, 18 against and six abstaining.

The passage of the amendment potentially paves the way for the stationing of allied nuclear weapons in Lithuania.

A final vote is scheduled for Jan. 12 and the amendment will require the support of at least 94 of the 141 members of parliament to pass.

Parliament Speaker Juozas Olekas said before the vote that repeal of the ban could strengthen Lithuania’s resilience and deterrence capabilities.

“By addressing the legal exceptions that Lithuania had compared with other EU and NATO countries, they will be gone and we will be equal," Olekas also said.

Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas reportedly underscored the significance of deterrence, urging lawmakers to make use of all available options to strengthen Lithuania’s security.

“If Russia had not started the war in Ukraine, we probably would not be having the discussions we are having today," Kaunas also said.