Lithuanian Parliament approves first step to remove constitutional nuclear ban
Seimas backed a first reading to repeal the constitutional ban; a second vote is set for 12 January.
The Lithuanian Parliament (Seimas) approved a first reading to remove the country's constitutional ban on nuclear weapons, with 106 of 141 deputies voting in favour.
The measure still requires a second vote to change the Constitution; that vote is scheduled for 12 January. Approval in both readings will require a two-thirds majority.
President says the change responds to shifting security
President Gitanas Nausėda said in July that political parties had agreed to lift the ban, arguing that Russia is changing the security situation in the region. He stressed that the move is a legal step to keep options open rather than an immediate operational plan.
Nausėda has said there are currently no plans to deploy nuclear weapons in Lithuania, but that removing the constitutional prohibition would allow the country to take appropriate steps should the security environment change.
He also noted that Lithuania will remain a signatory to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
Photo: press material from the event
