Russia has expressed strong opposition to the proposal of establishing a permanent U.S. military base in Lithuania, as well as the advancements made by Lithuanian lawmakers to abolish the ban on nuclear weapons being stationed in the country.
On Tuesday, Lithuania’s Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius announced the country’s readiness to bear the expenses associated with setting up a new American base. This announcement followed President Donald Trump’s statement that the U.S. would consider the viability of an American military facility in Lithuania.
Currently, approximately 1,000 U.S. soldiers are stationed in Lithuania on a rotational basis.
Furthermore, Lithuania’s parliament has voted to pursue a constitutional amendment to remove the restriction on deploying weapons of mass destruction within Lithuanian borders. This move could allow NATO member states to station nuclear weapons in Lithuania. Lithuania is strategically positioned as it borders Russia’s Kaliningrad region and Belarus.
A decisive vote on this constitutional change is anticipated by mid-January, according to the speaker of Lithuania’s parliament.
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov commented on Tuesday, criticizing the potential strengthening of NATO forces close to Russia. He stated that such actions could only be seen as increasing regional tensions, especially with the deployment of nuclear weapons in adjacent countries.
Peskov indicated that Moscow would be compelled to implement necessary security measures in response.
“They will, to our regret, mark yet another significant escalation of tensions,” Peskov noted, as reported by Russian state media.