Councilor Zelensky calls Belarus a nuclear prisoner of Russia
A senior adviser to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky says Belarus has become a nuclear prisoner of Russia as Russia seeks to store nuclear weapons in Belarus. Russia announced this decision on Saturday after the presidents of both countries reached an agreement.
“This decision will greatly destabilize Belarus,” said adviser Oleksiy Danilov. The United States said on Saturday that it sees no need to change its nuclear strategy because Russia is not preparing to use a nuclear weapon.
With the agreement between Russia and Belarus, nuclear weapons will return to Belarus after decades. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, nuclear weapons were placed in the new countries of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan. The following year, it was agreed that all these weapons would be in Russia. The moves were completed in 1996.
Saturday 25 March
US: No indications that Russia will use nuclear weapons
11:28 PM | The United States sees no indication that Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapons. This was reported by the US Department of Defense after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he will station nuclear weapons in Belarus.
The ministry says it is monitoring the situation and sees no reason to adjust US nuclear strategy. We remain committed to the collective defense of the NATO alliance. Belarus, of which Russia is the main ally, borders NATO member states Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.
With the new agreement between Russia and Belarus, nuclear weapons will return to Belarus after decades. After the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, nuclear weapons were placed in the new countries of Russia, Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan. The following year, it was agreed that all these weapons would be in Russia. The moves were completed in 1996.
Russia to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus
19:29 | Moscow to install tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. This is what Russian President Vladimir Putin has agreed with his Belarusian counterpart Alexander Lukashenko. The two are staunch allies and Lukashenko supports the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Tactical nuclear weapons were developed specifically for battlefield use and are much smaller than a classic nuclear bomb. But they can wreak much more havoc than conventional weapons.
According to Putin, the new facility in Belarus will be ready on July 1 and the weapons can then be moved. The Russian leader points out that these will not enter Belarusian hands or be used by the country.
Russia is not violating the nuclear non-proliferation treaty with the move, Putin says, because the United States has also deployed nuclear weapons with European allies.
Lukashenko is politically and economically dependent on Moscow. Belarus already has ten Russian bombers capable of firing tactical nuclear weapons. At the beginning of the Russian invasion in February last year, part of the troops entered Ukraine through Belarus.