Russia to place nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus

Russia will deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, Russian President Vladimir Putin said, noting that for the first time since the mid-1990s, Moscow will deploy such weapons outside the country. Writes about it Reuters.

Photo: IStock

Putin made the announcement at a time of rising tensions with the West over the war in Ukraine, as well as speculation by some Russian commentators about possible nuclear strikes.

Tactical nuclear weapons refer to those that are used for specific purposes on the battlefield, not those that can wipe out cities. It's unclear how many of these weapons Russia has, given that the area is still shrouded in the tradition of Cold War secrecy.

This is an important development, experts said, as the Russian Federation (RF) has so far taken pride in the fact that, unlike the United States, it has not deployed nuclear weapons outside its borders.

Belarus shares borders with three NATO members - Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.

On the subject: It turns out that you can lose nuclear weapons: three American bombs have not yet been found

“This is part of Putin's game to try and intimidate NATO because there is no military benefit in doing it in Belarus,” said Hans Christensen, director of the Nuclear Information Project at the Federation of American Scientists.

Putin said Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko had long raised the issue of deploying tactical nuclear weapons in his country.

“There is nothing unusual here either: firstly, the United States has been doing this for decades. They have long placed their tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of their allied countries,” he said. “We agreed that we would do the same without violating our international obligations on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.”

Putin did not specify when the weapons would be handed over to Belarus.

By July 1, the Russian Federation will complete the construction of a storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

“We are not transferring weapons. And the US does not transfer it to its allies. “We are essentially doing the same thing they have been doing for ten years,” Putin argued. “They have allies in some countries and they train their crews. We're going to do the same."

Russia has deployed 10 aircraft capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, he explained, adding that Moscow has already transferred to Belarus a number of Iskander tactical missile systems capable of launching nuclear weapons.

You may be interested in: top New York news, stories of our immigrants and helpful tips about life in the Big Apple - read it all on ForumDaily New York

“This is a very important step,” said Nikolai Sokol, senior researcher at the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation. “Russia has always been very proud that it does not have nuclear weapons outside its territory. So it's a big change."

When the Soviet Union collapsed in 1991, nuclear weapons were deployed in four newly independent states—Russia, Ukraine, Belarus, and Kazakhstan.

In May 1992, the four states agreed that all weapons should be based in Russia, and the transfer of warheads from Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan was completed in 1996.

Read also on ForumDaily:

Ten of Aldi's own products that are better than established brands

Which US cities have the most homeless people?

Medicare Enrollment Ends: What You Need to Know Before Applying

We do not know how to count correctly: what mistakes in English do Russian speakers most often

Do you want more important and interesting news about life in the USA and immigration to America? — support us donate! Also subscribe to our page Facebook. Select the “Priority in display” option and read us first. Also, don't forget to subscribe to our РєР ° РЅР ° Р »РІ Telegram  and Instagram- there is a lot of interesting things there. And join thousands of readers ForumDaily New York — there you will find a lot of interesting and positive information about life in the metropolis.