Russia plans to transport nuclear weapons to allied neighbour Belarus President Vladimir Putin announced Saturday.
The Russian President claims the tactical move does not breach nuclear non-proliferation agreements according to a report by Tass.
The United States responded to Putin’s recent move stating, “We have not seen any reason to adjust our own strategic nuclear posture. We remain committed to the collective defense of the NATO alliance,” according to a Pentagon statement reported by Reuters.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus. https://t.co/h2tfQ7830C
— The Associated Press (@AP) March 25, 2023
Belarus is a important ally of Russia, having supported the 2022 invasion of Ukraine. Prior to the invasion, Belarus allowed Russian forces to enter its territory to complete months of military exercises. (RELATED: Belarus Claims Its Air Defence Downed Ukrainian Missile)
Putin told Russian media Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had long raised the matter regarding the stationing of nuclear weaponry in Belarus. “There is nothing unusual here either. Firstly, the United States has been doing this for decades. They have long deployed their tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of their allied countries,” President Putin remarked, according to the BBC.
Although Russia plans to complete a storage facility within Belarus for the nuclear warheads, Putin did not state exactly when the arms would be moved. This will be the first time since the mid-1990s Russia has positioned its nuclear weapons beyond its borders, BBC outlet reported.