Putin’s decision to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus shocks west
Russian President Vladimir Putin’s decision to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus shocked western countries.
On Saturday, Putin announced his decision to station nuclear weapons in Belarus. In other words, it is a direct warning to the European countries supporting Ukraine against Russia.
Putin said, “The move became essential after Britain’s decision to provide Ukraine with armor-piercing rounds having depleted uranium.
Putin claimed that the ammunition posed an additional danger to both _ Russian troops and civilians in Ukraine.
Tactical nuclear weapons are intended for use on the battlefield, longer-range strategic nuclear weapons.
Russia plans to maintain control over the ones it plans to Belarus. Russian President said the construction of storage facilities for nukes will be accomplished by July 1.
He, nevertheless, didn’t say how many nuclear weapons Russia would deploy in Belarus.
The US government believes Russia has 2,000 nuclear weapons. The weapons include bombs that can be carried by tactical aircraft, warheads for short-range missiles, and artillery rounds.
Putin pointed out that by stationing its nuclear weapons in Belarus, Moscow was following the lead of the United States.
He said that the United States has stationed its nuclear weapons in Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, and Turkiye.
“We are doing what they have been doing for decades, preparing the launch platforms, and training their crews,” Putin said.
“We are going to do the same thing.” Russia has stored its tactical nuclear weapons at dedicated depots on its territory. Moving some of the weapons to a storage facility in Belarus would up the ante in the Ukrainian conflict.
Some hawkish commentators in Russia long have urged the Kremlin to put the tactical nuclear weapons close to the weapons to send a signal to the West about the readiness to use them.
According to Putin, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has long been asking for nuclear weapons as a counter-threat to NATO. Belarus shares borders with three NATO members — Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland. Russia used Belarus to send troops into Ukraine on Feb. 24, 2022.
