“The transfer of nuclear war agents … has already begun,” Lukashenko said in a video on Thursday when asked by a journalist about Russia’s nuclear weapons and their deployment in the neighboring allied country. Belarus, ruled by Lukashenko since 1994, borders not only Russia and Ukraine, but also Poland and Lithuania, EU member states.
Defense ministers of both countries signed a document on the deployment of the weapons systems on Thursday, Russian state news agency TASS reported. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu stressed that the weapons remain under Moscow’s control.
Russia wants to keep control
“Russia will not hand over nuclear weapons to Belarus: control over them and the decision to use them remain with the Russian side,” Shoigu said in Minsk, according to the Interfax news agency, at the signing of the contract. The contract regulates the management of the parking lot.
Pressure from the “Collective West”
Defense Minister Viktor Chrenin signed the document on the Belarusian side. “Today, the ‘collective west’ is exerting unprecedented pressure on both Belarus and Russia in all areas of national security,” he said at the signing of the treaty. Minsk is therefore interested in deepening the partnership with Russia. Belarus is already Russia’s most important ally.
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Putin had announced the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in the neighboring country, citing an alleged threat from the West. Subsequently, Belarusian soldiers were also trained in handling Iskander-type missiles, which can carry nuclear warheads. Belarusian fighters were also converted to the new weapons.
Base to be completed soon
Lukashenko later explained that, in an emergency, Minsk could also obtain strategic nuclear weapons from Moscow – and decide for themselves whether to use them or not. However, this is denied by Russia. Putin argued that Russia was not violating international treaties by deploying its nuclear weapons systems in the neighboring country.
Furthermore, Belarusian ruler Lukashenko had long called for nuclear weapons to be stationed on his territory, Putin said at the time. The head of the Kremlin announced that the construction of a nuclear weapons base in Belarus will be completed on July 1.
No strategic weapons systems
In the past, Putin has repeatedly urged the United States to withdraw nuclear weapons from Germany because Moscow saw them as a threat to its security. In contrast to strategic nuclear weapons systems, tactical nuclear weapons have a comparatively short range. According to its own statements, Russia does not want to deploy strategic nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus.