Russia signs deal to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus [View all]

[Omaha Steve]

Source: AP

ByYuras Karmanau an hour ago

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — Russia and Belarus signed a deal on Thursday formalizing the procedure for deploying Russian nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory. Control of the weapons will remain with Moscow.

The move formalized the deal agreed on earlier by Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko. Putin previously announced in March that his country planned to deploy tactical, comparatively short-range and small-yield nuclear weapons in Belarus. The inking of the deal comes as Russia braces for Ukraine’s much-anticipated counteroffensive.

Both Russian and Belarusian officials framed the step as driven by hostility from the West.

“Deployment of nonstrategic nuclear weapons is an effective response to the aggressive policy of countries unfriendly to us,” Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said in Minsk during a meeting with his Russian counterpart, Sergei Shoigu.




Read more: https://apnews.com/article/belarus-russia-nuclear-weapons-shoigu-285ff887e8b1c28d20ff68e1d775441e