Russia has issued a fiery warning to NATO after Lithuania moved to scrap a constitutional ban on nuclear weapons and offered to foot the bill for a permanent US military base on its soil. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov slammed the moves as a dangerous escalation on Russia's doorstep, warning that Moscow will be "forced to take all necessary measures to guarantee its own security."
Lithuania's Historic Vote and US Base Offer
The dramatic escalation unfolded after Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius confirmed Vilnius is ready to fund a dedicated American military facility. The announcement came shortly after US President Donald Trump admitted Washington would "certainly look" into establishing a permanent presence in the Baltic state.
At the same time, Lithuania's parliament voted to advance a historic constitutional amendment that would repeal its longstanding ban on hosting weapons of mass destruction. If passed in a final vote scheduled for mid-January, the law could pave the way for NATO nuclear weapons to be deployed directly onto Lithuanian territory - just miles from Russia's heavily armed Kaliningrad exclave and Moscow-ally Belarus.
Kremlin's Escalation Warning
Furious at the developments, Peskov said, according to Newsweek: "A build-up of NATO forces on Russia's doorstep cannot be perceived as anything other than a step toward escalating tensions, just as the deployment of nuclear weapons in a neighbouring country cannot. This marks yet another significant escalation of tensions."
While Lithuania does not possess its own nuclear arsenal, several European NATO members host US nuclear warheads under a shared defence framework, remaining strictly under American control. Vilnius has long pushed for a heavier US military presence to deter potential Russian aggression.
Military Buildup on NATO's Eastern Flank
Roughly 1,000 US troops are already stationed in the country on a rotational basis, supported by an influx of American Abrams tanks and armoured units. The country is also set to host a permanent brigade of 5,000 German soldiers by the end of next year.
Lithuanian Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas praised Trump's comments, claiming they showed the US President "knows Lithuania, knows our investments, knows our determination to build security and appreciates it."
Sitting directly on NATO's eastern flank, Lithuania has led the continent in military preparedness, boosting its defence spending to an extraordinary 5.38% of GDP this year. Tensions in the region are already at a boiling point following a series of mysterious airspace incursions, including a rogue drone crossing from Belarus that was shot down by Italian fighter jets and Russian warplanes breaching Lithuanian borders.
Kaliningrad Tensions and Regional Fallout
The latest clash comes just days after Vladimir Putin issued a chilling threat to deploy nuclear weapons if NATO attempted to attack or blockade Kaliningrad - Russia's isolated, highly militarised Baltic outpost sandwiched between Poland and Lithuania.
Russian officials in London also sparked fury recently after issuing dark warnings over British media reports simulating potential conflict scenarios in the Baltic region, cautioning that anyone targeting Kaliningrad should "have no illusions about the consequences."
