Overview
- Lithuania's Seimas approved a first reading on Oct. 6 by 106–18 to scrap Article 137, the constitutional ban on weapons of mass destruction and foreign bases.
- The amendment cannot become law until a second vote at least three months later, with a two‑thirds majority of 94 of 141 deputies required for passage.
- The Kremlin condemned the move as escalatory and warned it could prompt countermeasures, while a Russian expert in state media warned of potential targeting of related infrastructure.
- Lithuanian leaders, including the president and prime minister, say there are no immediate plans to host nuclear arms and the country would be willing to cover costs if the United States seeks a permanent base, a proposal President Trump said he would consider.
- The vote changes only Lithuania's legal options and builds on its location next to Russia's Kaliningrad and Belarus, existing NATO rotations in the country, and years of post‑Soviet constitutional limits designed to shape regional security choices.