Lithuanian parliament speaker proposes constitutional change to allow nuclear weapons deployment

The speaker of Lithuania’s parliament has called for discussions on amending the constitution to permit the deployment of nuclear weapons in the country, citing current geopolitical conditions.

Juozas Olekas, chair of the Seimas, told journalists on Tuesday that “given the geopolitical situation we are in, I believe it is truly worth doing,” referring to a potential constitutional change, LRT reports.

Article 137 of Lithuania’s constitution currently prohibits weapons of mass destruction and foreign military bases on its territory. The proposal follows a dispute over legislation governing Klaipėda State Seaport, which President Gitanas Nausėda vetoed last week.

Nausėda argued that the Seimas-approved law could allow ships carrying nuclear weapons to enter Lithuanian waters if deemed in the national security interest—a move he said violates the constitutional ban, which contains no exceptions. The president has proposed a blanket prohibition on nuclear-armed vessels while permitting limited access for ships with nuclear propulsion, provided they do not threaten state security.

Olekas suggested Lithuania should also consider joining a NATO “nuclear sharing” arrangement, where non-nuclear members host allied nuclear weapons. He stressed that any such decision would require consensus within the State Defence Council, Lithuania’s top security body.

“I think this is a good proposal. Such an umbrella is needed. We are under NATO’s umbrella, but the specifics—what decisions should be made—need clarity,” Olekas said, adding that discussions are already underway in “smaller circles” among Lithuanian politicians.

He cautioned against rushed initiatives, urging thorough preparation to ensure broad support: “What we absolutely must avoid are initiatives that fail or collapse. It’s better to sit down, agree on the steps, the scope, or even the precise wording, and then present the initiative to secure wide backing.”

Olekas noted that separate considerations apply to nuclear-armed ships docking in ports versus aircraft carrying nuclear weapons transiting Lithuanian airspace, both of which would need analysis.

Last year, then-Defence Minister Dovilė Šakalienė first raised the possibility of constitutional changes if allies proposed concrete plans for nuclear deployment in Lithuania. Current Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas has stated that Lithuania relies on US-deterrence guarantees, though France has offered a European “nuclear umbrella” and plans to increase its own arsenal.

In March, French President Emmanuel Macron proposed a new European nuclear deterrence framework, under which allied nations could host French strategic air forces capable of operating across the continent.