Kremlin Warns Lithuania Lifting Nuclear Arms Ban Risks Escalation

By Reuters Oct. 6, 2026 The Lithuanian Seimas. Lietuvos Respublikos Seimas / flickr The Kremlin on Tuesday warned that a preliminary decision by NATO member Lithuania to lift a constitutional ban on hosting nuclear arms on its territory could lead to a new round of escalation in the region. Lithuania's parliament on Tuesday voted in favor of removing the ban, in the first of two ballots required for the change. Asked by reporters how Russia viewed that development, as well as a proposal floated this month by U.S. President Donald Trump to build an American military base in the Baltic country, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said: “If the military infrastructure of what is, in effect, NATO's leading country (the U.S.) is moving closer to our borders, then, of course, this cannot be perceived as anything other than a step towards escalating tensions.” He added: “The same applies to the deployment of nuclear weapons on the territory of a neighboring state. Neither of these developments will contribute to stability and predictability on the European continent; on the contrary, they will, much to our regret, mark yet another significant escalation of tensions.” Lithuania, a ​member of the EU and NATO, borders Russia and close Moscow ally Belarus. The U.S. has ​kept an armored battalion of almost ​1,000 troops there since 2019, in overlapping rotations, meaning ‌the ⁠troops arrive and leave every few months. The legal overhaul of the nuclear arms ban, which requires a two-thirds majority in two parliamentary votes to go into effect, is set to remove prohibitions put in place more than three decades ago after Lithuania broke away from the Soviet Union. Read more about: Lithuania , Nuclear Weapons Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more Kremlin Denies Nuclear Testing After Trump Orders U.S. to Resume Tests Peskov told reporters that Russia would “act accordingly” if any country departed from the moratorium on nuclear tests. 2 Min read Russia Ends Voluntary Ban on Intermediate-Range Missile Deployments The Foreign Ministry accused the United States of testing, producing and deploying INF-class missiles in regions critical to Russian security. 2 Min read Kremlin Calls for Restraint After Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines Top spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned that “there can be no winners in a nuclear war” after Trump said the U.S. was “totally prepared” for a potential... 1 Min read Russian Intercontinental Ballistic Missile Explodes During Testing A Bulava intercontinental ballistic missile fired by a Russian nuclear submarine has exploded, Russia’s Defense Ministry announced in a statement on...