The Kremlin warns Lithuania / The country could become the target of Russian nuclear weapons if it hosts them

Lithuania will become the target of Russian nuclear weapons if it hosts weapons aimed at Russia, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned in an interview with Channel One, cited by the TASS news agency. The statement comes amid Vilnius’s initiative to remove from the Constitution the ban on deploying nuclear weapons on the country’s territory.

Peskov argued that such a measure would represent a serious escalation of tensions and said that, in this case, Lithuanian territory would be in the sights of Russian nuclear weapons.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda announced in July that he wanted his country to participate in Western nuclear deterrence against Russia. However, he noted that there are no immediate plans to store nuclear weapons in Lithuania.

A group of 50 lawmakers has submitted a draft constitutional amendment. Its adoption requires two parliamentary votes, with a two-thirds majority, and at least three months must pass between them. The amendment could be approved by the end of the year. Lithuania says it will remain a party to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.