Ninety-nine deputies voted in favor, 13 opposed, and five abstained. To adopt the amendment to the Constitution, two more votes are required. The first is scheduled for October 6, and the final one for January 12, 2027. It is necessary for the initiative to be supported by at least 94 deputies out of 141. The chairman of the Homeland Union – Lithuanian Christian Democrats party, former Minister of National Defense of Lithuania Laurynas Kasčiūnas, stated that nuclear weapons are one of the most effective means of deterring Russia. "We are the only country in the region that has this restriction. The Latvians do not have it, the Estonians do not have it, the Poles do not have it, and the Finns have just gotten rid of it," he noted. In June, the Finnish Parliament lifted the ban on the import, transit, and storage of nuclear weapons if required for national defense needs. The chairman of the Foreign Affairs Committee of the Seimas, Social Democrat Remigijus Motuzas, also emphasized that Lithuania should not create obstacles to nuclear deterrence against Russia and should not be a weak link in NATO in the region. According to Motuzas, amending the Constitution would be one of the strongest signals that would reduce the risk of military aggression against the republic. Discussions about the deployment of nuclear weapons in the countries of NATO's eastern flank are also fueled by the idea of creating a new European nuclear deterrence scheme, presented by French President Emmanuel Macron in March. This scheme involves allies temporarily hosting French strategic Rafale fighters and providing their airspace for them, as reported by The Moscow Times.
