By Oyintari Ben
President Vladimir Putin has stated that although Russia has an agreement with Belarus to install tactical nuclear weapons on its soil, it will not break non-proliferation treaties.
According to Putin, the President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, had long proposed stationing tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, which borders Poland.
Furthermore, he added that the United States has been carrying out this activity for many years, so there is nothing remarkable about it. They have long since placed tactical nuclear weapons on the soil of their allies’ nations.
“We agreed that we will act similarly, but without violating our obligations, I emphasize without violating our obligations under international law regarding the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.”
By July 1, Russia will have finished building a facility in Belarus to store tactical nuclear weapons, according to Putin, who added that Moscow would not actually be handing over control of the weapons to Minsk.
He added that Moscow has previously given Belarus several Iskander tactical missile systems that can be used to launch nuclear weapons. According to him, Russia has stationed ten planes in Belarus capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons.
