The Kremlin has warned that Russia could point its nuclear weapons at Lithuania if the Baltic country, a NATO member and Russia's neighbor, allows allies to station nuclear weapons on its territory. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said that deploying nuclear weapons in Lithuania would lead to a dangerous escalation of tensions.

“If nuclear weapons are deployed on Lithuanian territory and directed against us, then, accordingly, the territory of this country will be targeted by our nuclear weapons,” Peskov said in an interview with Russian state television. According to him, the arrival of nuclear weapons in Lithuania would constitute “a very serious turning point in terms of the escalation of tensions.”

The Kremlin's statements come as Lithuania is considering changing a constitutional ban on storing nuclear weapons on its territory. The initiative has been presented as a measure to strengthen the country's security after Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

The constitutional amendment is being considered by the Lithuanian Parliament and requires a two-thirds majority to be approved. The initiative has received the support of President Gitanas Nausėda and the main political parties, and is expected to enter into force this winter.

In early July, Nausėda stated that Lithuania wanted to join the West's nuclear deterrence mechanism against Moscow, leaving open the possibility of deploying nuclear weapons on Lithuanian territory.

However, Lithuanian officials have repeatedly stated that there are currently no plans to deploy or house nuclear weapons on the country's territory.