RUSSIA and Belarus signed a deal that enables the formalizing of Russia’s deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory.
Despite this, the control of such weapons remains in the hands of Moscow.
Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu and his Belarusian counterpart Viktor Khrenin signed the deal on Thursday.
Shoigu emphasized that the deal had come in response to what he calls an acute escalation of threats and activities by NATO joint nuclear missions, noting that the deal involves non-strategic nuclear weapons and is in accordance with all international legal obligations that are currently in force.
“Russia is not handing over nuclear weapons to the Belarusian Republic, control over it and the decision to use it remains with the Russian side,” said Sergey Shoigu, Russian Defense Ministry Chief.
Shoigu also revealed that Russia has provided Belarus with nuclear-capable Iskander-M missiles and has helped Belarus modify some of its fighter jets to be able to carry nuclear weapons.
Furthermore, additional measures could be taken further to ensure the security of both countries.
Belarusian Defense Minister Khrenin, for his part, hailed the agreement and insisted that the deal will be an effective response to what he calls aggressive policies of countries that are hostile towards minks.
He also said that the deal is further proof of the important strategic relations between his country and Russia.
It can be remembered that Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Moscow would deploy shorter-range weapons in Belarus in late March of 2023 and that Russia would deploy nuclear weapons at the request of Belarus, citing the United States’ practice of stationing its own nuclear weapons in countries’ allied with Washington.
