Lithuanian lawmakers say UK nuclear umbrella could bolster regional security

Two members of Lithuania’s parliamentary National Security and Defence Committee say a UK proposal to extend a nuclear umbrella to members of the Joint Expeditionary Force could strengthen regional security and deterrence, LRT reported.

Laurynas Kasčiūnas welcomed the proposal, saying it could give new impetus to the JEF, a military partnership linking Nordic and Baltic countries with the Netherlands. He said the format is flexible because members do not all need to agree for a willing coalition to act.

Kasčiūnas said the JEF’s role in recent crises had not been fully realised and that the proposal could serve as a stabilising security guarantee. He also said he saw no problem with Lithuania and other countries having two or three nuclear deterrence arrangements, arguing they would complement rather than conflict with one another.

Tomas Martinaitis also backed the proposal, saying additional deterrence measures could improve security across the region. He said extending a nuclear umbrella to the Baltic and Nordic countries was one possible option.

Martinaitis said the UK initiative could complement France’s nuclear deterrence initiative, which Finland joined earlier this month. He said the details of France’s approach remained unclear, while describing the UK as more constructive on security guarantees and deterrence.

Both lawmakers said different nuclear umbrellas would not contradict one another. Kasčiūnas added that the UK’s decision-making process on using nuclear weapons would need to be examined before the proposal’s implementation could be assessed.