The Lithuanian authorities' discussion of lifting the ban on the deployment of nuclear weapons in Lithuania will lead to a new phase of escalation, Russian presidential spokesman Dmitry Peskov warned, RBC reports.

"This could have been predicted. This will be a very serious phase in terms of escalation of tension. After all, if you deploy nuclear weapons on your territory, then they are directed against someone. They will be directed to the east; that is, towards us [i.e. Russia]. And if there are nuclear weapons aimed at us in that territory, then, accordingly, the territory of that country will also be targeted by our nuclear weapons," the Kremlin spokesperson added.