Belarus will host Russia’s “tactical” nuclear weapons in response to “unprecedented” pressure from the West, the Belarusian Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.
“Two and a half years Belarus is facing unprecedented pressure (…) from the US, the UK and their allies,” the ministry said in a statement condemning “direct and flagrant interference” in Minsk’s internal affairs.
Economic and political sanctions against this former Soviet republic, a federal Russia are accompanied by “strengthening of the military potential of NATO” in the territory of the neighboring countries-members of the Alliance Belarushe added.
In this context Belarus it “has an obligation to take retaliatory measures,” the ministry insisted, assuring that Minsk would have no control over the weapons, whose deployment “in no way contravenes Articles I and II of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty.”
Announcement of “tactical” nuclear weapons
On Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he had Minsk’s consent to stationing “tactical” nuclear weapons in Belarus, the country at the gates of the European Union, which has been ruled since 1994 by Alexander Lukashenko, his closest ally.
According to Putin, preparations for the deployment should begin in April.
This statement drew sharp criticism from Western countries. NATO denounced Russia’s “dangerous and irresponsible rhetoric” and the European Union threatened Minsk with new sanctions if the deployment went ahead.
The United States confirmed that it had no reason to believe that Russia was preparing to use nuclear weapons, while condemning the Russian statement.
(According to AFP)
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