Lithuania eyes permanent US military base, Russia warns of escalation

Lithuania said on Tuesday that it stands ready to cover the costs of hosting a permanent US military base, while Russia said that any deployment of NATO infrastructure or nuclear weapons on Lithuanian soil would further escalate regional tensions.

Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius said on Tuesday that Lithuania is ready to pay the cost to set up a permanent US military base if Washington should ‌agree to establish one there, a day after US President Donald Trump said he would consider Lithuania's request for a permanent base.

Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov, on the same day, said that the possible deployment of a NATO military base and nuclear weapons in Lithuania would further escalate tensions.

"Both of these things will not contribute to stability and predictability on the European continent.

On the contrary, they will become another significant round in the escalation of tensions," Peskov said.

Peskov added that if such deployment occurs, Russia would be forced to take retaliatory measures to ensure its national security.

A constitutional amendment to lift a ban on weapons of mass destruction, potentially opening the way for stationing NATO nuclear weapons in Lithuania, passed the first reading in the Lithuanian parliament earlier on Tuesday.

A final vote on the amendment has been scheduled for January 12, 2027.

Lithuania, a member of the EU and NATO, shares a border with Russia's exclave of Kaliningrad.

The United States 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.

Sinkevicius said he proposed turning this into a permanent presence at a meeting with Trump's envoy John Coale last month in Vilnius.

The latest development comes as Russia recently issued a warning over NATO's military activities in the Baltic region, saying it is prepared to use all means at its disposal, including nuclear weapons, to defend its territory if NATO attempts to blockade Russia's Kaliningrad region.

NATO Secretary General Mark Rutte responded last week by describing NATO as a "defensive alliance" and condemning what he called Russia's "nuclear threats." Moscow said it poses no threat to anyone.

The exchange has remained largely rhetorical, but highlights rising tensions around Kaliningrad and the broader Baltic region.