Russia’s Dominance Over Belarus To Store Nuclear Weapons Gets Negatively Criticized By Multiple Countries

After the Kremlin leader ordered soldiers into Ukraine 15 months ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin claims that the United States and its closest allies are engaged in an escalating proxy war against Russia. Putin discussed the nuclear deployment plan in an interview that aired on national television on March 25. 

According to the Russian military ministry, Sergei Shoigu, Putin’s defense minister, warned during a conversation that he had with his Belarusian counterpart in Minsk that the West as a whole is waging an undeclared war in opposition to our nations.

According to Shoigu, the West is exerting every effort “to prolong and escalate the armed conflict in Ukraine.” Despite there being no official confirmation from the Kremlin, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko claimed that tactical nuclear weapons had been set in motion as a result of a Putin order.

As he participated in negotiations with other presidents of former Soviet states, Lukashenko mentioned that “the process of disposing of the nuclear weapons had previously begun.“When he questioned if the arms were present in Belarus already, he responded, possibly, he will check when he gets back.

STORAGE OF NUCLEAR ARMS

The paperwork that Shoigu signed in Minsk, according to him, was related to the procedure for keeping strategic nuclear weapons in Belarus.

State Department spokesman Matthew Miller in Washington described the preparations as “the latest instance of the irresponsible behavior that they have witnessed from Russia throughout its full-scale invasion of Ukraine almost a year ago“.

Miller reaffirmed Washington’s warning that using chemical, biological, or nuclear weapons in Syria would have “severe repercussions,” but he did not elaborate on those repercussions. he also mentioned that they have seen no cause to change their strategic nuclear stance or any signs that Russia is getting ready to deploy a nuclear weapon.

Putin has repeatedly threatened that Russia, which holds the most nuclear weapons of any nation, will use all available means to protect itself. He has also painted the conflict in Ukraine as a struggle for Russia’s survival amid an aggressive West and that there is no other alternative to tackle the situation.

While claiming to want Ukraine to defeat Russian soldiers on the battlefield, the United States and its allies deny having any desire to destroy Russia. They also deny that the conflict in Ukraine is in any manner related to NATO’s post-Soviet enlargement.

Belarus shares borders with Poland, Lithuania, and Latvia which are also three NATO members. The weapons will continue to be under Russian control.

THE SUPERIORITY OF RUSSIA’S TACTICAL NUCLEAR ARMS

While tactical nuclear weapons are used to gain tactical advantages on the battlefield, strategic nuclear weapons are meant to attack American or Russian cities.

When it involves tactical nuclear weapons, Russia has a significant numerical advantage over the United States as well as the NATO military alliance: the United States estimates that Russia has about 2,000 such operational tactical warheads. About 200 tactical nuclear weapons are in use by the US, with sites in Europe housing half of them.

Iskander-M missiles, which are capable of carrying conventional or nuclear warheads, have reportedly been given to the Belarusian military, and some Su-25 aircraft have been modified for the potential use of nuclear weapons, according to Shoigu.

Belarusian service members have obtained the required training, according to Shoigu, as reported by his ministry.

Because of Putin’s comments made during the Ukraine crisis, the United States has claimed that the world confronts the greatest nuclear threat since the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, but Moscow claims that its position has been misrepresented.

No nuclear power is allowed to hand over nuclear weapons or technology to a non-nuclear power, according to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons that was signed by the Soviet Union, but it does permit the deployment of nuclear weapons outside of its boundaries while still being under its control.

According to Lukashenko, the transfer of the weaponry is already in progress. Putin had earlier issued a directive permitting Belarus, an ally and neighbor, to install shorter-range weaponry. Germany has criticized the action.

The dictatorial president of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, has declared that he will sign a law allowing Russia to station short-range, tactical nuclear weapons there. They were considered “non-strategic” nuclear weapons, meaning they weren’t longer-range or higher-yield bombs, as Lukashenko made clear in his remarks.

Speaking in Moscow, Lukashenko claimed that after Russian President Vladimir Putin signed the decree, the transfer of the weapons had already begun. He did not specify, however, if any had made it to Belarus.

Moscow is permitted to keep weapons at a unique site in Belarus thanks to the agreement. Russia would continue to be in charge of the weapons. Putin previously declared his intention to use tactical nuclear weapons on Belarus in March.

Countries that condemn the proposed nuclear strike

The revelation by Lukashenko that Russian nuclear weapons were being transferred to his nation has been roundly criticized by the German government.

As asserted by Lukashenko, the shipment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus is “another obvious attempt at nuclear intimidation by Russia,” according to deputy government spokesman Wolfgang Büchner who says they categorically oppose this. 

The accord between Russia and Belarus was criticized by the European Union as well. Josep Borrell, the head of the EU’s foreign policy, said in a statement that the action would escalate in a dangerous direction and was against numerous international accords by stating that they urge Russia to comply with these obligations.

What is going to happen next?

In light of Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine, both Moscow and Minsk explained the agreement as a response to what they saw as Western hostility.“Deploying non-strategic nuclear weapons is an effective response to the aggressive policy of countries hostile to us,” Belarusian Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin said in Minsk following a meeting with his Russian counterpart Sergei Shoigu.

A decision was taken to implement countermeasures in the military-nuclear sector in light of an extremely rapid escalation of dangers on the western shores of Russia and Belarus, Shoigu continued, 

Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, a leader of the exiled Belarusian opposition, cautioned that Putin’s intention to install nuclear weapons within Belarus would “ensure Russia’s dominance of Belarus for years to come. and that,” this will further jeopardize the security of Ukraine as well as the rest of Europe,” 

Last year, Minsk permitted Moscow to launch attacks against Ukraine from its territory. Belarus shares a border with Ukraine to the north, and invading via Belarus opened up a front that was not only far wider than using the Russian border in the east of the country but also one that was closer to the capital Kyiv.

Proofread & Published By Naveenika Chauhan