Lithuania registers amendment to remove nuclear weapons ban from Constitution

Lithuania’s parliament has registered a draft law to remove the constitutional ban on the deployment of nuclear weapons in the country, following an agreement among top political leaders, LRT reports.

The amendment, signed by 50 lawmakers, would strike down Article 137 of the Constitution, which currently prohibits mass destruction weapons and foreign military bases on Lithuanian territory. The push for change comes amid shifting geopolitical conditions, with President Gitanas Nausėda noting that Lithuania remains one of the few NATO members with a self-imposed ban on nuclear weapons deployment.

A constitutional amendment requires two separate votes in the Seimas, each with at least 94 out of 141 lawmakers in support, spaced three months apart. Seimas Speaker Juozas Olekas clarified that Lithuania does not plan to host nuclear weapons under peacetime conditions. Officials also stated the country would continue to uphold the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and other international agreements it has signed.

Discussions on nuclear deployment have gained momentum following proposals by French President Emmanuel Macron for a new European nuclear deterrence framework, allowing temporary hosting of French strategic air forces with nuclear capabilities. Reports in Financial Times also suggested the U.S. is considering deploying nuclear weapons in additional NATO states in Europe. Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas confirmed the country is engaged in these discussions.