Lithuania is ready to consider the prospect of deploying NATO nuclear weapons on its territory if the alliance's allies make specific proposals. This was stated by the country's Minister of Defense Dovilė Šakalienė during a press conference on March 14, 2025. According to her, implementing such a step will require a revision of the current legislation, including Article 137 of the Constitution of the Republic of Lithuania, which directly prohibits the deployment of weapons of mass destruction and foreign military bases on the territory of the state.

“We must be prepared to assess the possibility of adjusting this article and other commitments if our partners present real plans for the deployment of nuclear weapons or their components,” — emphasized Shakalene, whose words are quoted by the Delfi portal.

She clarified that at the moment there have been no specific initiatives from the allies, but Vilnius intends to prepare the ground for discussing this issue in advance.

The minister's statement came in the context of growing tensions in the region and the Baltic states' efforts to strengthen their defense capabilities in the face of Russia's actions. Šakalienė noted that Lithuania seeks maximum integration into NATO's collective security system and is ready to adapt its laws for the sake of the alliance's strategic interests. In her opinion, revising the Constitution would be an important signal of the country's commitment to a common defense policy.

As reported by LRT, the discussion on nuclear weapons in Lithuania has intensified following French President Emmanuel Macron’s proposal to create a “European nuclear umbrella” in response to the uncertainty of US policy under Donald Trump. At the same time, Lithuania’s neighbor Poland has also expressed its readiness to host US nuclear weapons, as stated by President Andrzej Duda in an interview with the Financial Times in February 2025. According to DW (the publication is included in the list of foreign media outlets), Lithuania is already hosting an armored brigade of the Bundeswehr on its territory, which formally contradicts Article 137, but the authorities are circumventing the ban by calling it a “temporary presence.” Experts believe that Šakalienė’s initiative could be part of a broader strategy by Eastern European countries to strengthen NATO’s nuclear potential on the eastern flank.