MINSK: Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has confirmed the completion of a shipment of tactical nuclear weapons from Russia to Belarus, further intensifying geopolitical tensions in the region. Lukashenko’s announcement follows Russia’s earlier plans to station such weapons in Belarus, a move perceived as a response to perceived threats from NATO member Poland amid Moscow’s ongoing conflict with Ukraine.
The shipment of nuclear weapons to Belarus began in May, with Lukashenko acknowledging their arrival and prompting concerns from the United States and other Western nations. The Belarusian president stated that the movement of nuclear weapons was connected to efforts aimed at countering threats from Poland.
Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu emphasized the context of an undeclared war against their countries by the collective West and accused Western nations of seeking to escalate the conflict in Ukraine.
Russian President Vladimir Putin, confirming the arrival of the first shipment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus in June, asserted that extreme measures could be employed if there was a perceived danger to Russian statehood. He emphasized that Russia’s actions served as a deterrent to any nation contemplating strategic defeat against them.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken responded to Putin’s remarks, stating that there was no indication that Russia was preparing to use nuclear weapons. The United States affirmed its commitment to closely monitoring the situation while providing assistance to Ukraine in its ongoing conflict with Russia.
