Putin announces deal to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus
The Russian president says that an agreement with the Belarusian counterpart is not a violation of nuclear non-proliferation agreements.
Russia has struck a deal with neighboring Belarus to station tactical nuclear weapons on its territory, President Vladimir Putin says.
Putin made the announcement on Saturday as tensions rise with the West over the war in Ukraine and some Russian commentators speculate about possible nuclear strikes.
The deal with Belarus would not violate nuclear nonproliferation agreements, Putin said, adding that the United States had stationed nuclear weapons on the territory of its European allies for decades.
“We have agreed that we will do the same – without violating our obligations, I emphasize, without violating our international obligations on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons,” Putin said.
Putin told state television that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had long raised the issue of stationing tactical nuclear weapons in his country, which borders NATO member Poland.
Russia will complete construction of a tactical nuclear weapons storage facility in Belarus by July 1, Putin said, adding that Russia would not actually transfer control of the weapons to Minsk.
He also said he would deploy depleted uranium ammunition if Kiev receives such ammunition from the West. His comment followed a British announcement that it would supply these anti-tank shells to Ukraine.
Russia has already stationed 10 aircraft capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus and has transferred a number of Iskander tactical missile systems, which can be used to launch nuclear weapons, Putin said.
Asked how Moscow would react if the West supplied Ukraine with depleted uranium grenades, Putin said Russia had massive stocks of weapons.
“Russia, of course, has what it needs to answer,” Putin said in an interview on Russian television. “It is no exaggeration that we have hundreds of thousands of such grenades. We haven’t used it yet.”
The International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) has warned that nuclear threats create a dangerous sense of uncertainty about their potential use.
The longer the Russian operation in Ukraine continues, the greater the risk of a nuclear attack, ICAN warned last month.
Putin announced last month that Moscow would suspend its participation in New START, the last remaining arms control treaty between Russia and the United States.
NATO chief Jens Stoltenberg slammed Russia for suspending the nuclear weapons treaty, saying it marked the end of Europe’s post-Cold War arms control architecture.
Putin did this after Moscow suspended New START-mandated US inspections of its military sites in August.
Belarus is closely linked to Russia. Longtime ruler Lukashenko, whose re-election as president in 2020 is not recognized by the West, is militarily, politically and economically dependent on Moscow.
At the start of the all-out invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, some Russian units had entered from Belarusian territory.