President of Lithuania Gitanulence Nauseda has announced that the\ncountry\u2019s highest political leaders have agreed to abolish the\nconstitutional ban on the deployment of nuclear weapons within the\nnation. This strategic decision by the NATO member state, which borders\nthe Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, comes amidst a worsening\ngeopolitical situation.<\/p>\n
Nauseda emphasised that parliamentary and government leaders are\nalmost unanimous in supporting the removal of this policy, rather than\nmerely amending it, to prevent Lithuania from becoming a weak link\nwithin the NATO alliance. This change automatically nullifies Article\n137 of the Lithuanian Constitution, which previously explicitly\nprohibited the placement of weapons of mass destruction and the\nestablishment of foreign military bases on their territory.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe geopolitical situation is worsening. Our Constitution was\nwritten when the geopolitical circumstances were entirely different,\u201d\nstated President Gitanas Nauseda, as quoted by Reuters.<\/p>\n
Although the provision has been officially removed so that Vilnius\ncan adapt to future security developments, Nauseda added that there are\ncurrently no urgent plans to store nuclear weapons in the country.\nAccording to reports from the state broadcaster LRT, Nauseda told\njournalists that Article 137 of the Lithuanian Constitution has now\nbecome obsolete and outdated.<\/p>\n
Lithuania is known as one of Ukraine\u2019s most loyal allies throughout\nmore than four years of armed conflict against Russia, continuously\nproviding extensive military equipment and financial support.<\/p>\n
The removal of this ban follows a report from the Financial Times\nlast month indicating that the United States is in discussions to secure\nthe deployment of new nuclear capabilities in Europe. Countries on\nNATO\u2019s eastern frontline, including Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and\nPoland, are reportedly very interested in hosting US Dual-Capable\nAircraft (DCA) bases capable of launching nuclear strikes.<\/p>\n
Furthermore, this bold step follows recent actions by members of the\nFinnish parliament, fellow NATO members that also share a border with\nRussia, who voted to lift their long-standing ban on nuclear\nweapons.<\/p>\n
Regional tensions have escalated significantly after Russia launched\nlarge-scale missile and drone attacks targeting military complexes, as\nwell as fuel and energy infrastructure in Kyiv and other parts of\nUkraine. Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko confirmed via Telegram that at\nleast 13 people were killed in the attacks, with Friday (03\/07\/2026)\nofficially declared a day of mourning for the city. This massive assault\nforced Finland to temporarily close its airspace in the eastern Gulf of\nFinland, while Poland immediately scrambled fighter jets as a\nprecautionary measure.<\/p>\n
Amidst this escalating tension, NATO leaders are scheduled to meet in\nAnkara, Turkey, on 7-8 July to discuss regional security and establish a\nroadmap for achieving the alliance\u2019s primary objectives.<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/lithuania-scraps-constitutional-ban-on-nuclear-weapons-amid-russian-pressure-1783039834", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }