The vote comes after repeated Russian violations of Baltic airspace. According to President Gitanas Nauseda, lifting the ban would give Lithuania “room to maneuver if the security situation changes.”
However, Tuesday's vote in favour in the Seimas (the Lithuanian parliament) needs to be followed by another vote in favour for the amendment to enter into force.
Russia responded with a warning. The measure would mean a “significant escalation of tensions,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said after the vote in Vilnius.
Lithuania's ban on nuclear weapons has been in effect since the country broke away from the Soviet Union in 1990.
