Russia has voiced strong opposition to the proposal of establishing a permanent U.S. military base in Lithuania. The criticism follows Lithuanian lawmakers’ decision to advance plans to lift a ban on nuclear weapons being stationed in the country.

Lithuania’s Prime Minister, Mindaugas Sinkevicius, stated on Tuesday that Vilnius is prepared to bear the cost of setting up a new American base. This announcement came soon after President Donald Trump expressed interest in evaluating the feasibility of a U.S. military facility in Lithuania.

Currently, about 1,000 U.S. troops are deployed to Lithuania on a rotational basis. In parallel, the Lithuanian parliament has voted to proceed with a constitutional amendment. This amendment seeks to remove the existing prohibition on weapons of mass destruction on Lithuanian soil, potentially allowing nuclear arms from other NATO nations to be stationed in Lithuania. The nation shares borders with Russia’s Kaliningrad region and Belarus, a Moscow ally. A final vote on this amendment is planned for mid-January, as stated by Lithuania’s parliamentary speaker.

Kremlin spokesperson, Dmitry Peskov, remarked on Tuesday that the increase in NATO forces near Russia is seen as a move escalating tensions. He stated, “They will, to our regret, mark yet another significant escalation of tensions.” Peskov emphasized that the deployment of nuclear weapons in neighboring countries is unacceptable. He added, “Moscow will be forced to take all necessary measures to guarantee its own security.”

This story is developing and will be updated as more information becomes available.