Lithuania wants to station nuclear weapons – Merz respects that

German CDU leader Friedrich Merz expressed respect for Lithuania's potential decision to station nuclear weapons, framing it as a serious response to the threat from Russia. "It shows how this country takes the threat from Russia seriously and is prepared to defend itself in this regard," Merz stated. He added that he has "not only not to criticize this, but to note with respect that Lithuania is prepared in this regard to defend the country and thus also NATO territory."

“

This is, first and foremost, a decision by the politicians in Lithuania. But it also shows at the same time how the threat from Russia is taken seriously in this country and how the country is prepared to defend itself in this regard.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nausėda underscored the goal of utilizing all nuclear deterrence options. "We want to be an integral part of this nuclear deterrence," he said in Berlin, pledging to remove legal obstacles. Nausėda stressed that Lithuania's efforts are not about aggression or provoking escalation. However, concrete plans for deploying nuclear weapons in Lithuania have not yet been established.

“

In this respect, I have not only not to criticize this, but to note with respect that Lithuania is prepared in this regard to defend the country and thus also NATO territory.

Lithuania shares borders with Russia's Kaliningrad exclave and Belarus, which is considered a staging ground for Russian forces. Moscow has reportedly stationed nuclear-capable Iskander missiles in Kaliningrad. Currently, US nuclear weapons are reportedly stationed in five NATO countries: Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, and Turkey. Britain and France also possess their own nuclear arms. None of these nations share a direct border with Russia, unlike Lithuania and Poland, which has also expressed interest in participating in NATO's nuclear deterrence and is in talks with the US. The discussion around European nuclear capabilities has intensified as some politicians question US reliability.

“

The goal of my country is to use all possibilities of nuclear deterrence.