Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on the 25th (local time) that it had agreed to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in its ally Belarus. Belarus shares borders not only with Ukraine, but also with Poland and Lithuania, which are members of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
According to Reuters, President Putin said in an interview with state-run TV Russia 24 that day, “I discussed the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and agreed.”
Belarus is a country that has actively supported Russia, providing its own military bases during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February last year. It is the first time in 30 years that Russia has newly deployed nuclear weapons in a neighboring country since the mid-1990s.
“Deploying tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus does not mean Russia is violating its international non-proliferation obligations,” Putin said.
“It is not a transfer of nuclear weapons to Belarus, but a deployment of weapons like the United States,” he said, explaining that arms control will be held by Russia. He added, “By July 1, we will complete the construction of a special storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.”
President Putin also announced that several Iskander missiles, a nuclear weapons delivery system, and 10 aircraft capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons are already stationed in Belarus. However, he did not specify when to deploy tactical nuclear weapons.
Nikolai Sokol, a senior researcher at the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP), told Reuters, “Russia has always been proud that it has never deployed nuclear weapons outside its territory.
In this regard, the United States has said that there is no indication that Russia has used nuclear weapons to date. Adrian Watson, a spokesman for the White House National Security Council (NSC), said, “We see no reason to adjust our strategic nuclear posture or any indication that Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapons.”
Meanwhile, this is not the first time Putin has threatened the West with nuclear weapons. On the 28th of last month, he signed a bill officially suspending participation in the New Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (New START), a nuclear disarmament treaty with the United States. I have been warned that
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.