MOSCOW, October 6. /TASS/. The potential deployment of a NATO military base and nuclear weapons in Lithuania will mark yet another escalation of tensions, and Russia will be forced to take retaliatory measures, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

Commenting on the vote in the Lithuanian Seimas (parliament) to lift the ban on nuclear weapons and foreign military bases in the country, the spokesman emphasized that NATO's military buildup near Russia's borders "cannot be perceived as anything other than a step toward escalating tensions, just as the deployment of nuclear weapons in a neighboring country cannot."

"Neither of these developments will contribute to stability and predictability on the European continent. On the contrary, they will, to our regret, mark yet another significant escalation of tensions. As for Russia, of course, Moscow will be forced to take all necessary measures to guarantee its own security," Peskov emphasized.