Nuclear & NATO posture: Lithuania’s parliament is preparing to remove a Cold War-era constitutional ban on hosting weapons of mass destruction, with Speaker Juozas Olekas saying the change could come by early 2027—prompting Kremlin warnings that any Russian nuclear weapons would be aimed at Lithuania. German staffing pressure: Germany’s Defence Ministry is set to order compulsory postings for up to 1,000 Bundeswehr personnel to its permanent Lithuania brigade after volunteer recruitment fell short, with shortages flagged in IT, logistics and support roles. Arctic strategy push: EU leaders meeting in Finland agreed Russia poses a “significant and long-term threat” and called for a more strategic, proactive EU role in the Arctic, including better monitoring, infrastructure and hybrid-threat readiness. Ukraine support & energy: Lithuanian PM Mindaugas Sinkevičius and Ukraine’s PM Serhii Koretskyi discussed continued defense backing and energy cooperation, including Ukraine’s guaranteed LNG capacity at the new Klaipėda terminal; Stefanchuk also said Ukraine is ready to share defense experience. Security incidents near NATO: European leaders condemned Russia’s drone strike on a passenger train near the Ukraine-Poland border as intimidation aimed at deterring support. Lithuanian drills: Lithuania began exercises across 12 municipalities focused on responses to multiple threat types, including drones and boats. Belarus prisoner politics: A US envoy visit to Lithuania-linked border negotiations highlighted how Belarusian dissident Mikalay Statkevich refused exile. Domestic politics: A candidate dropped out of a Seimas by-election campaign after failing to collect required signatures.