Russia’s neighbor to scrap ban on nuclear weapons, says ‘situation is getting worse’

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda on Thursday said the Baltic country’s top political leaders had agreed that a constitutional ban on the domestic deployment of nuclear weapons should be removed.

The decision comes shortly after lawmakers in Finland, another NATO member that shares a border with Russia, voted to lift its longstanding ban on nuclear weapons.

Speaking to reporters shortly after the decision, Nauseda said Article 137 of Lithuania’s constitution had become “outdated” and “obsolete,” according to a report from state broadcaster LRT.

He added that parliamentary and government leaders were “practically unanimous” in their support for removing the policy — as opposed to amending it — and that it would have been “truly unfortunate” if Lithuania had become the weak link within NATO.

Lithuania’s Article 137 had explicitly prohibited the deployment of weapons of mass destruction and the establishment of foreign military bases on Lithuanian territory.

“The geopolitical situation is getting worse. Our constitution was written when geopolitical circumstances were totally different,” Nauseda said, according to Reuters.

The removal of the provision means Vilnius can adapt to evolving security circumstances in the future, Nauseda said. He added, however, that there were no immediate plans to store nuclear weapons in the country.

Lithuania, which borders the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, has been one of Ukraine’s staunchest allies during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s more than four-year conflict with Kyiv, providing extensive military equipment and financial support.

NATO’s eastern flank

The Financial Times reported last month, citing three unnamed sources briefed on discussions, that the U.S. was in talks to secure new nuclear-capable deployments in Europe.

The report said countries on NATO’s eastern flank, such as Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland, were interested in potentially hosting bases for so-called U.S. dual-capable aircraft (DCA), which are able to deliver nuclear strikes.

Russia on Thursday launched a large-scale missile and drone attack against Ukraine, targeting military, fuel and energy complexes in Kyiv and other regions across the country.

Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko said via Telegram that there had been at least 13 deaths in Ukraine’s capital following the attacks, with July 3 declared as a day of mourning for the city.

Some of Russia’s neighbors took emergency measures in response to the attack. Finland temporarily imposed an “aviation restriction zone” in the eastern Gulf of the country, while Poland scrambled fighter jets in what it said was a preventative measure.

NATO leaders are due to meet in Ankara, Turkey on July 7-8 to discuss regional security and set out a roadmap to deliver on the alliance’s key objectives.