Lithuania

According to CNBC and multiple media reports, Lithuania’s parliament voted by majority to pass the first round of votes on lifting the constitutional nuclear weapons ban. This is a historic step toward Lithuania becoming a nuclear-weapon state, prompting strong opposition from Moscow. NATO and the EU have expressed high alertness on regional nuclear proliferation risks, while the UN reaffirms nuclear non-proliferation principles.

Lithuanian PM Sinkevičius told BBC Newsnight that Lithuania has long felt security threats from Russia and has prepared both to fight back and to evacuate if attacked. The remarks highlight the security anxiety of NATO’s eastern flank amid the Ukraine war.

BBC World reported on September 15 that NATO member Lithuania scrambled fighter jets and shot down an unidentified drone inside its airspace. Lithuanian authorities said the drone most likely entered from Belarus, an ally of Russia, underscoring the persistent aerial threats facing NATO’s eastern flank amid the continued Russia-Ukraine conflict. The incident will affect NATO’s routine patrol posture over Eastern European airspace, the assessment of military cooperation between Belarus and Russia, and EU-wide policy coordination on common air-defence capability building.