Russia to deploy 'tactical' nuclear weapons in Belarus | War in Ukraine
Led since 1994 by Alexander Lukashenko (here with President Putin), Belarus borders Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that Moscow would deploy “tactical” nuclear weapons on the territory of its ally Belarus, a country on the doorstep of the European Union.
Russian officials have repeatedly issued thinly veiled threats to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine if the conflict escalates significantly. Led since 1994 by Alexander Lukashenko, Belarus borders Ukraine, Poland and Lithuania.
There is nothing wrong with it. unusual in all of this: the United States has been doing this for decades. They have long deployed their tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of their allies, Vladimir Putin said in an interview broadcast on Russian television.
We have agreed to make even, he added, saying he had the Minsk agreement.
We have already helped our Belarusian colleagues and equipped their planes […] without violating our international commitments on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. Ten planes are ready to use this type of weapon, Putin continued, according to which Moscow also transferred Iskander missiles.
“As of April 3, we will start training crews. And on July 1, we will complete the construction of a special warehouse for tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus.
— Vladimir Putin, President of Russia
Belarus is not directly involved in the conflict in Ukraine, but Moscow has used its territory to drive its offensive on Kiev last year or to carry out strikes, according to Ukrainian authorities.
According to Mr. Putin, this decision was motivated by London's desire to send depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine, as recently mentioned by a British official. Mr. Putin threatened to also use this type of shell, used to pierce armor, if Kiev were to receive it.
Russia, of course, has what to answer. We have, without exaggeration, hundreds of thousands of such shells. We are not using them at the moment, the Russian president said.
He called this type of shell one of the most dangerous weapons and which generates what is called radiation dust.
Deputy Minister British Defense Minister Annabel Goldie confirmed on Monday that the UK would supply Ukraine with depleted uranium shells effective against tanks and other armored vehicles.
Mr. Putin also said on Saturday that he considers Western arms supplies to Ukraine, vital to Kiev's war effort, to be a threat to Russia.
He, however, welcomed the progress of the Russian arms industry, which he said will be able to produce 1,600 tanks over the next three years, which would allow the #x27;Russian army to have more than three times more than its opponent.
During recent negotiations in Moscow between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping, the two leaders had stated in a joint declaration that a nuclear war must never be started, because there can be no winner.
Several Russian officials, including former President Dmitry Medvedev, however, have threatened Ukraine and Westerners with nuclear weapons since the start of the Russian offensive launched February 24, 2022.
Russia further suspended the landmark New Start nuclear disarmament treaty signed with the United States last month, despite pledging to abide by its nuclear arsenal limitation until the end. effective date of this agreement on February 5, 2026.
Last year, Vladimir Putin accused Ukraine of wanting to equip itself with a dirty bomb, a weapon consisting of conventional explosives surrounded by radioactive materials intended to be scattered to dust when detonated.
Ukraine and its Western allies had condemned these allegations and accused Russia of playing nuclear escalation. Moscow boasts of having developed supersonic weapons capable of piercing existing missile shields.
Russian nuclear doctrine does not provide for preventive use by Russia nuclear weapon. It only considers it in response to an attack on itself or its allies, or even in the event of a threat to the very existence of the state.
