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Putin says Moscow should deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus, US reacts cautiously – #Putin #Moscow #deploy #nuclear #weapons #Belarus #reacts #cautiously

March 25 (Reuters) – Russia Belarus will deploy tactical nuclear weapons, the president Vladimir Putin Saturday NATOto Ukraine military support and warning for intensifying the conflict with the West.

Although not unexpected and Putin although he said the move would not violate his nuclear non-proliferation pledges, it was one of the clearest nuclear signals since Russia began its invasion of Ukraine 13 months ago.

The United States, the world’s other nuclear superpower, reacted cautiously to Putin’s statement, with a senior administration official saying there was no indication Moscow planned to use nuclear weapons.

Putin their plans USAHe compared it with the deployment of weapons in Europe and said that Russia will not transfer control to Belarus. But this may be the first time since the mid-1990s that Russia will deploy such weapons outside the country.

“There is nothing unusual here either: first, USA has been doing it for decades. They have long deployed their tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of their allies,” Putin told state television.

“We agreed that we will do the same – without violating our obligations, I emphasize, without violating our international obligations on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons.”

Tensions over the war in Ukraine have risen after heavy supplies of Western weapons to Kiev and Moscow.

Some hawkish Russian politicians and commentators have long speculated about nuclear strikes, saying Russia has the right to defend itself with nuclear weapons if it oversteps its borders.

“Tactical” nuclear weapons refer to those used for specific gain on the battlefield, not those capable of wiping out cities. Given that Russia is still an area shrouded in Cold War secrecy, it’s unclear how many such weapons it possesses.

Experts told Reuters that Russia till today USAwas proud of not deploying nuclear weapons beyond its borders, unlike

A high-ranking official of the US administration noted that Russia and Belarus have been talking about the transfer of nuclear weapons for some time.

“We have seen no reason to adjust our strategic nuclear posture or any indication that Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapons. we NATO We remain committed to the collective defense of the alliance,” the official said.

NATO– IN THE SIDE OF

Putin did not specify when the weapons would be delivered to Belarus, which borders three NATO members – Poland, Lithuania and Latvia. He said that Russia will complete the construction of the warehouse there by July 1.

Nucleus information project director Hans Christensen said: “This is part of Putin’s game to try to intimidate NATO … because there is no point in doing that in Belarus military there is no use, because Russia has many of these weapons and forces.” In Federation of American Scientists.

It was not clear where the weapons would be placed in Belarus. The move would expand Russia’s ability to launch nuclear strikes along NATO’s eastern border.

Although the Kremlin has never publicly confirmed it, the West has long believed that Russia in Kaliningrad, NATO and Europe It says it has nuclear-capable missiles in an enclave on the Baltic coast between EU members Poland and Lithuania.

of Nuclear Weapons Cancellation The International Campaign called Putin’s statement an extremely dangerous escalation.

“In the context of the war in Ukraine, the possibility of miscalculation or interpretation is extremely high. Sharing nuclear weapons worsens the situation and risks catastrophic humanitarian consequences,” it was noted on Twitter.

Putin said that the President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko has been asking for this placement for a long time. There was no immediate reaction from Lukashenko.

Although the Belarusian army does not formally fight in Ukraine, it is close to Minsk and Moscow military have connections. Last year, Minsk allowed Moscow to use Belarusian territory to send troops into Ukraine, and the two nations have increased joint military exercises.

“We do not hand over (weapons). And the US does not give (them) to its allies. We are basically doing what they have been doing for ten years,” Putin said.

“They have allies in certain countries and they are training their crews. We will do the same.”

Russia capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus 10 deployed the aircraft, Putin added that he had already handed over a number of Iskander tactical missile systems capable of launching nuclear weapons to Belarus.

“This is a very important step,” said Nikolay Sokov, senior researcher at the Vienna Center for Nuclear Disarmament and Non-Proliferation.

“Russia has always been proud of the absence of nuclear weapons outside its territory. So now, yes, they’re changing it, and it’s a big change.”

(This story has been edited to correct the surname of analyst Sokov from Sokol in the penultimate paragraph)

Supplement by Guy Faulconbridge in London, Raphael Satter and Andrea Shalal in Washington, and Lidia Kelly in Melbourne report; Written by David Ljunggren and Lydia Kelly; Edited by Matthew Lewis, Deepa Babington, and Marguerita Choi

Our standards: Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

David Ljungren

Thomson Reuters

of Canada politicalcovering economic and general news, as well as the latest news in North America, formerly London and in Moscow located and won the Reuters Treasury of the year.

2023-03-26 17:42:13
Source – reuters

Translation“24 HOURS”



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