Russia retains control of non-strategic nuclear weapons stationed in Belarus. This was stated by Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, transmits CASS.
“Russia does not transfer nuclear weapons to the Republic of Belarus: the control of them and the decision on their use rests with the Russian side,” Shoigu said.
He added that “in the future, additional measures could be taken to ensure the security of the Union State and to respond to the military-political situation.”
On May 25, Shoigu and Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin signed documents in Minsk defining the procedure for keeping Russian non-strategic nuclear weapons in a special storage facility on the territory of the country.
On March 25, President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia would complete construction of a tactical nuclear weapons storage facility in Belarus on July 1. Putin noted that this is only about the deployment of nuclear weapons in the republic, there are no plans to transfer them to Minsk. According to him, the United States in its relations with its allies acts in the same way. “We basically do everything they’ve been doing for decades. They have (nuclear charges) in some countries with the allies and their aircraft carriers are being prepared, and the crews are also preparing them. We will do the same,” Putin announced.
March 31 President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko declared that strategic nuclear weapons can also be deployed in the republic. “It will be necessary – Putin and I will decide and introduce here, if necessary, strategic weapons. And they must understand it, the scoundrels, over there, abroad, who are trying today to blow us up inside and out. We will stop at nothing to defend our countries, states and peoples,” Lukashenko said.
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