Lithuanian parliament backs lifting constitutional ban on weapons of mass destruction

Lithuania’s parliament has backed a constitutional amendment to remove a ban on weapons of mass destruction being present in the country, LRT reported, citing BNS. The proposal passed its first reading on Tuesday with 106 votes in favour, 18 against and six abstentions.

A final vote cannot take place for at least three months. At least 94 of the 141 members of parliament must support the amendment at both stages. Speaker Juozas Olekas has said the final vote is planned for January 12 next year.

Olekas told reporters before the session that removing the ban would strengthen Lithuania’s resilience and deterrence. He said it would also eliminate legal differences between Lithuania and other EU and NATO members.

Article 137 of the Constitution currently prohibits weapons of mass destruction and foreign military bases on Lithuanian territory. The amendment under consideration would remove the provision.

In March, French President Emmanuel Macron presented an idea for a new European nuclear deterrence arrangement under which partner countries could temporarily host France’s strategic air forces carrying nuclear weapons. The Financial Times reported in early June that the United States was considering deploying nuclear weapons in several additional European NATO countries.

Lithuanian military analysts have said Russia’s propaganda has focused on Lithuania’s effort to remove the ban. In early September, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Lithuania would become a target for Russia if it allowed allies to deploy nuclear weapons on its territory.