Belarus says it is forced to host Russian nukes ‘due to Western pressure’
Belarus says it has been forced to house Russian nuclear weapons ‘under Western pressure’ after warning it has become Putin’s ‘nuclear hostage’
- It comes after the Russian president announced plans to station nuclear weapons in Belarus
- The decision alarmed Western countries and drew condemnation from officials
Belarus on Tuesday said it was forced to house Russian nuclear weapons because of “unprecedented” Western pressure, insisting their deployment does not violate international agreements.
Last weekend, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in the Moscow-affiliated country, which was condemned by the West.
“Belarus is forced to respond in order to strengthen its own security and defense capabilities,” the foreign ministry in Minsk said.
It said Minsk was subject to “unprecedented” political and economic pressure from the United States and its allies.
Belarus said it would have no control over the weapons and that their deployment “does not contradict in any way” the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (L) last year at the Independence Palace in Minsk, where Putin “discussed military and economic cooperation”
Minsk last year allowed Russia to use its territory as a launching pad for Moscow’s offensive against Ukraine.
The two countries have since held military exercises on Belarusian territory and intensified cooperation between their armies.
Military cooperation between Belarus and Russia takes place in strict accordance with international law.
Putin’s plans to put nuclear weapons on the doorstep of the European Union have led to calls for new sanctions against Moscow.
With fears of nuclear war mounting since Putin sent troops to Ukraine, experts believe any Russian attack is likely to involve “tactical” small battlefield weapons as opposed to “strategic” high-powered long-range weapons.
Authoritarian President Alexander Lukashenko has ruled Belarus since 1994. The West has hit Minsk with multiple sanctions for its crackdown on political dissidents and its role as a springboard for Moscow’s attack on Ukraine.
Putin’s decision to station nuclear weapons in Minsk follows the UK’s recently announced commitment to supply Ukraine with armor-piercing depleted uranium tank shells.
Annabel Goldie, the United Kingdom’s Minister of State for Defense, said on March 20 on the UK Parliament’s website: “In addition to our award of a squadron of Challenger 2 main battle tanks to Ukraine, we will provide ammunition, including armour-piercing bullets containing depleted uranium.” Such cartridges are very effective in defeating modern tanks and armored vehicles.’
Belarusian Army Su-25 fighter jets fly during an Independence Day parade in Minsk, Belarus, Wednesday, July 3, 2019
It is the first time since the mid-1990s that Moscow has stationed nuclear weapons outside the country.
The Russian president was adamant that it would not violate global efforts to limit the proliferation of nuclear weapons, as the US has been doing for years.
He added that Moscow would not actually hand over control of the weapons to Minsk.
Russia has stationed 10 aircraft in Belarus, which can carry tactical nuclear weapons, he claimed.
Moscow has already transferred a number of Iskander-K tactical missile systems to the country, according to Putin.
The missiles could potentially be used by Russia to launch nuclear weapons.
In 1992, four former Soviet states (Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine) all agreed that each country’s nuclear weapons would be in the hands of Russia alone, with nuclear warhead transfers completed by 1996.