President Lukashenko: Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus will never be used
President Alexander Lukashenko said he was certain that Russian tactical nuclear weapons deployed in Belarus would never be used.
In a speech on June 30, President Lukashenko emphasized that the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus was his "strongest initiative".
“We are increasingly convinced that it is necessary to place them in Belarus, a reliable place,” he said.
“We will never have to use tactical nuclear weapons as long as they are present in Belarus, and no enemy will dare set foot on our soil,” President Lukashenko declared.
Mr Lukashenko has repeatedly said the nuclear deployment is necessary to deter “potential aggressors”.
He said some of the weapons were in Belarus and at one point suggested he would not hesitate to use them if necessary, adding that consultations with Russia were needed.
On the same day, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said that the deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus does not violate the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty because Russia retains control over them. He also stressed that the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus is “obligatory” for Russia.
On May 25, Russia and Belarus signed an agreement on the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons.
President Lukashenko announced on June 14 that Belarus had received tactical nuclear weapons from Russia. President Vladimir Putin later confirmed the information and said that this was the first stage of a plan expected to end in the fall or the end of this year.