President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia has made its initial delivery of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus. This delivery comes three months after unveiling the plan, which is causing escalating friction with the U.S. and its allies over the Ukrainian conflict.
“Belarus has received the first batch of nuclear weapons. But this is just the beginning,” stated Putin at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on Friday. “This is the initial stage. By the conclusion of summer, and by the year’s end, we aim to have completed this task.”
Putin Discusses Deployment of Tactical Nuclear Weapons in Belarus
In March, Putin disclosed Russia’s intentions to station tactical nuclear arms on Belarusian soil, an ally of Russia. He argued that Russia is fulfilling its non-proliferation commitments by maintaining control over the weapons even though it has trained Belarusian troops in “the storage and tactical application of special munitions.”
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko hinted during an interview aired on Wednesday that the weapons were already in his country.
This was contrary to Putin’s earlier statement that the delivery process would commence in the next month. When questioned about the potential use of these nuclear weapons at the forum, Putin indicated this would only occur if Russia’s sovereignty is threatened. He currently sees no such necessity, he added.
