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President Vladimir Putin has two reasons for deciding to deploy Russian nuclear weapons to Belarus. Photo/REUTERS
MOSCOW – President Vladimir Putin has announced that nuclear weapons Russian tactical will be deployed to Belarus. The weapon will arrive early this summer.
The decision was made at a time when Moscow’s war in Ukraine is heating up and there is no sign of it ending soon.
Belarus is an ally of Russia. The country, which borders Ukraine and some members of it, has been sanctioned by the European Union and the United States (US) for supporting Moscow’s war.
Why Putin Deploys Nuclear Weapons
Putin, in his announcement last Saturday, said that Russia’s deployment of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus was fine and in line with international norms.
According to him, there were two reasons that made him take such a step.
First, Britain’s decision to prepare to supply Ukraine with armor-piercing munitions containing depleted uranium. Putin feels that such ammunition has a nuclear component.
The Kremlin leader described Britain’s decision to supply depleted uranium ammunition as London’s “absolute recklessness”.
The second reason, according to Putin, is that Russia is following in the footsteps of the United States (US), which has for decades deployed nuclear weapons to Belgium, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkiye – all of which are members of NATO.
“We are doing what they have been doing for decades, placing them in certain allied countries, setting up launch platforms and training their crews. We will do the same,” Putin said.
“There’s nothing out of the ordinary,” said Putin. “The United States has been doing this for decades by storing its own nuclear weapons in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey,” he said.
