- Lithuania, a NATO member which borders the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, has decided to remove a constitutional ban on nuclear weapons.
- It comes shortly after lawmakers in Finland voted to lift its longstanding ban on nuclear weapons.
- The Baltic country has been one of Ukraine's staunchest allies during a more than four-year conflict with Russia.
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Speaking to reporters shortly after the decision, Nauseda said Article 137 of Lithuania's constitution had become "outdated" and "obsolete," according to a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.
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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.<small>Source: CNBC</small>
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Russia’s neighbor Lithuania scraps constitutional ban on nuclear weapons. Here's why
CNBC
July 02, 2026
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