The Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has confirmed on Friday afternoon that Russian “strategic nuclear weapons” will be stationed in Belarus.
Lukashenko has ordered that sites in Belarus which held the Topol missile systems to be immediately restored.
The Topol intercontinental ballistic missile system holds a 1 megaton warhead which can be launched by road-mobile or in a silo and has a range of 6,800 miles.
Addressing the National Assembly on Friday, Lukashenko said, “If necessary, strategic nuclear weapons will also be introduced into Belarus.”
Read more on Russia-Ukraine war:
Putin to conscript 150,000 troops to the frontlines as thousands have been killed in Bakhmut in a ‘slaughter fest’
Vladimir Putin’s troops have already modernised Belarusian warplanes which are now capable to carry the strategic nuclear weapons.
NATO is now under threat by sending tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus will then “make it possible” for Minsk to strike alliance members.
However, Moscow has claimed that they will still have control over the nuclear weapons in the same way the US does with theirs which are stationed within NATO countries in Europe.
But, NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said that the West has “not seen any changes in Russia’s nuclear posture.”
She then warned, this will now “lead us to adjust our own,” meaning that NATO will adjust their nuclear readiness and stance given the constant nuclear threats coming out of Moscow.
Western world leaders have been left subdued and are monitoring the situation “closely” and NATO has condemned the move as “dangerous and irresponsible.”
Russian state-owned newspapers have said that Belarus and Russia have become “one country” and Minsk is now “integrated into the Russian military machine.”
Russia’s business daily newspaper RBC’s article, titled, “What consequences will the stationing of nuclear weapons in Belarus have?”, said that Russia is alleging they are under threat of nuclear conflict, warning this nuclear threat is now at the “highest level” in years.
Part of the article from RBC read,“This is a clear signal to NATO that Russia is increasing its reliance on nuclear weapons and specifically their use on the battlefield.
“Recently Russia has started talking again about nuclear war, making several strongly-worded statements.
“Deputy foreign minister Sergei Ryabkov said that the probability of a nuclear conflict is at its highest level in decades. And the deputy head of the Russian security council Dmitry Medvedev said that the threat of a nuclear conflict has grown.”
The pro-Kremlin Komsomolskaya Pravda, which is Russia’s most-read newspaper, wrote, “This will make it possible for Russian nuclear weapons to reach any NATO country in Europe in the event of an attack on Russia or Belarus.”
