Moscow: The Kremlin stated on Wednesday that the potential positioning of nuclear weapons in the Baltic region will not contribute to regional security. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov addressed journalists during a press briefing in Moscow, expressing that such a move would not enhance the security of the countries involved.

According to Anadolu Agency, Peskov's comments were made following a proposal by 50 Lithuanian lawmakers to amend the constitution, which would eliminate the current prohibition on deploying nuclear weapons in Lithuania. Supporters of this amendment argue that Lithuania's security landscape has evolved significantly since the ban was initially instated. Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda noted that Lithuania remains virtually the only NATO member with such a constitutional ban.

Peskov further indicated that deploying nuclear weapons could elevate the threat level for the Baltic countries, as countermeasures would be taken to protect Russian interests. He suggested that the Baltic nations are attempting to align with Finland's recent decision to lift its long-standing nuclear weapon ban. Last month, Finland's parliament voted to abolish a decades-old prohibition, which Finnish Defense Minister Antti Hakkanen described as a measure to bolster the security of both Finland and NATO.

In a separate matter, Peskov commented on the International Olympic Committee's (IOC) recent decision to provisionally lift the suspension of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC). He characterized this as an "important step" towards reinstating Russian athletes' rights to participate in international events. Peskov emphasized the importance of allowing Russian athletes to compete on the global stage and noted ongoing efforts by Russian sports agencies to maintain this momentum.

The IOC announced its decision to lift the ban, explaining that the ROC no longer includes members from regions under the National Olympic Committee of Ukraine's jurisdiction. The ROC has also pledged not to operate in these territories. However, the IOC stipulated that Russian athletes must adhere to stringent anti-doping measures, acknowledging ongoing governance issues within the Russian Anti-Doping Agency.

Ukraine's National Olympic Committee criticized the move as "premature" and "unjustified," stressing the need for international sports federations to uphold the Olympic Movement's principles amid the Russia-Ukraine conflict.