Belarus excludes the possibility of Russia using tactical nuclear weapons

Alexander Volfovich, Secretary General of the Security Council of Belarus, this Thursday ruled out the use of Russian tactical nuclear weapons, which will soon be sent to the territory of the former Soviet republic.

“It’s not the quantity that’s important, it’s the quality and knowing what to use and when. And we know how to do it… [mas] I don’t think we will be able to use them,” Volfovich said, quoted by the Belarusian news agency Belta.

A Belarusian official speaking to reporters on the sidelines of a meeting of the Supreme Council of the State Union, which includes Russia and Belarus, stressed that nuclear weapons, whether tactical or strategic, “are designed to guarantee the security” of the two countries.

As for the timing of the shipment, he acknowledged that this decision rests with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian Alexander Lukashenko.

“This is their business,” Volfovich emphasized.

Putin announced an agreement with Minsk on the supply of tactical nuclear weapons, the mines for the appropriate installation of which have been built since Tuesday.

While Lukashenko said all infrastructure was ready, Putin specified that the bunkers should be completed by July.

In addition, the Belarusian leader was ready to accept, if necessary, strategic weapons in the form of intercontinental missiles, as in Soviet times.

Lukashenko, who is on an official visit to Moscow, admitted that he discussed this issue, as well as military-technical cooperation in general, with Putin in the Kremlin on Wednesday.

In this regard, the Belarusian president called for the destruction of all nuclear weapons in the world, otherwise he demanded that the United States withdraw all its strategic weapons from abroad, primarily from Europe.

“Let’s collect all nuclear weapons and destroy them! […] This is the best option, but for now we are doing like them. [Estados Unidos]”, Lukashenka told Russian state television.

The President of Belarus accused the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) of resorting to forceful pressure on the borders of the two countries after failing to form an economic bloc.

“The rhetoric of the global military conflict is intensifying,” Lukashenka warned during a meeting of the State Union, at which the Russians and Belarusians deepened the cooperation between the Russian military campaign in Ukraine that began on February 24, 2022.

However, he assured that the security system of the State Union, which includes a regional military grouping and a joint air defense system, is working “effectively.”

“If necessary, we will use everything we have to protect our states and our peoples. We are not blackmailing anyone. It will be done,” he concluded.

On Thursday, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said the decision to send short-range tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus is a response to NATO’s decision to move closer to Russia’s borders.

“NATO is expanding to the borders with Russia. It is not Russia that is approaching the borders with NATO with its military infrastructure. This is a movement in the opposite direction,” Peskov said.

At the end of March, Putin announced an agreement on the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus in response to the UK’s statement about the supply of depleted uranium ammunition to the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

According to Putin, the construction of facilities for storing tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus will be completed on July 1, although the weapons will forever remain under Russian control.

Belarus has had Iskander tactical missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads for several months now, and Russia already has up to ten nuclear-tipped combat aircraft stationed in Belarus.