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Lithuanian MPs Move To Remove Constitutional Ban On Domestic WMDs

The proposal would create a legal path for NATO to place nuclear forces on Lithuanian soil with allied approval and signal a tougher deterrent posture toward Russia.

Overview

  • Fifty members of the Seimas have submitted a bill to delete the constitutional clause that now bans domestic deployment of weapons of mass destruction, including nuclear arms.
  • President Gitanas Nausėda prompted the push by asking the parliamentary speaker and party leaders to open discussion on removing the clause, which accelerated the submission.
  • Any change must clear two separate Seimas votes requiring at least 94 of 141 MPs in favor, with the votes held at least three months apart, so the proposal remains at an early procedural stage.
  • Removing the clause would not itself place weapons in Lithuania; any deployment would depend on NATO decisions and the consent of allied governments.
  • The move responds to long-standing Baltic security concerns about Russia, is likely to drive domestic debate and diplomatic responses, and faces a high legal bar that will require broad cross-party support to succeed.