Russia may deploy more strategic nuclear weapons to Belarus, in addition to the tactical nuclear weapons Moscow already plans to transport to the allied country, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said during a message to the nation this Friday (31).
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced last week that Moscow would complete construction of a depot for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus in early July. After days of silence, Lukashenko approved the move on Friday, announcing he had stepped up talks with Putin on deploying both tactical and strategic nuclear weapons in the country.
The mention of strategic nuclear weapons represents an uptick in Lukashenko’s rhetoric. While tactical weapons are designed for use on a limited battlefield – to destroy a command post or a column of tanks, for example – strategic nuclear weapons are designed to destroy entire cities. Russia has yet to announce plans to send strategic nuclear weapons to Belarus.
Lukashenko, who has been asking Putin for nuclear weapons for some time, has claimed that Belarus needs the weapons because Ukraine’s Western allies are planning a coup against him. He unfoundedly accused Western countries of being “preparing to invade” Belarus through Poland and “destroy” it.
“If necessary, Putin and I will decide and introduce strategic nuclear weapons here. And they need to understand that… we will stop at nothing to protect our countries, our states and our peoples,” the Belarusian leader was quoted as saying by the state news agency BELGA.
The two leaders are due to meet next week.
Belarusian opposition leader Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya told CNN on Monday that Russia’s decision to station tactical nuclear weapons in its neighbor “aims to subdue Belarus”.
“We are not a nuclear country and we don’t want to deploy nuclear weapons in our state,” she said, adding that the decision violates Belarus’ constitution.
Belarus is one of Russia’s few allies in its war against Ukraine. Despite the country’s army not being directly involved in the fighting, Belarus helped Russia launch its invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, allowing Kremlin troops to enter the country through its territory.
Putin said last week that Moscow had already transferred a low-range Iskander missile system to Belarus. The device can be loaded with ordinary or nuclear warheads. However, the Russian leader has said he would not hand over control of tactical nuclear weapons to Lukashenko, adopting a Washington-like practice of allocating nuclear weapons in Europe to prevent host countries such as Germany from breaking their commitments as non-EU countries. nuclearized.
“Our planes can also carry nuclear warheads. You heard from the President of Russia about joint plans to create the appropriate infrastructure on the territory of Belarus. I just want to clarify: All the infrastructure has been created and is ready”, said Lukashenko.
Lukashenko said Minsk and Moscow would make “every effort and means to ensure their sovereignty and independence”. He specifically accused Poland and its “zealous” Western neighbors of stepping up “formation of determined regiments, standards, legions” for a “coup in Belarus”.
Addressing the nation on state television, Lukashenko also called for a break from “hostilities” in Ukraine.
“It is necessary to stop hostilities in Ukraine and declare a truce that prohibits both sides from moving groups of soldiers and transferring weapons, ammunition, manpower and equipment. Everything stopped, frozen,” said Lukashenko.
However, Russia and Ukraine immediately turned down the proposal.
Ukrainian senior presidential adviser Mykhailo Podolyak said there can be no ceasefire as long as Russian forces continue to occupy Ukraine’s territory.
“Any ceasefire would mean the right [da Federação Russa] to remain in the occupied territories. This is totally unacceptable,” Podolyak said.
The Kremlin also dismissed the proposal on Friday. “In the context of Ukraine, nothing changes. Special military operations continue, because at the moment it is the only way to achieve the goals facing our country,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told a routine meeting with journalists.
Despite calling for a truce, Lukashenko sent a warning to the West that Moscow would be obliged to use “the full power of its military-industrial complex and army to prevent the escalation of conflict – phosphorus ammunition, depleted and enriched uranium – everything will come into play.” in action if mistake and even the slightest movement across the Ukrainian border will be noticed”.
Source: CNN Brasil
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