Germany criticizes Russia for plan to station nuclear arms in Belarus
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Putin adds that the construction of the weapons storage facility in Belarus is due to be completed on July 1.
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A flag fluttering at the German finance ministry in Berlin, Germany, on September 9, 2021 (Reuters)
According to German media, Russia's decision to place tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus has been criticized by the German Foreign Ministry on Sunday, labeling it an "attempt at nuclear intimidation," German media reported.
This comes a day after Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the agreement between Moscow and Minsk to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, while ensuring conformance with international commitments and laws.
Read more: Germany arresting Putin equals to declaring war on Russia: Medvedev
Putin pointed fingers at the US for having stationed its tactical nuclear weapons on lands of allies and NATO nations, as he continued to add that the construction of the weapons storage facility in Belarus is due to be complete on July 1.
In its statement, as cited by the German news agency dpa, the ministry said, "The comparison made by President Putin with the joint use of NATO nuclear weapons is misleading and cannot be used to justify the step announced by Russia,"
With that being said, Germany reminded Minsk that the latter committed to international agreements to be nuclear-weapon-free. Although Germany itself does not explicitly talk about the presence of nuclear weapons in the country, estimates by international experts anticipate the number of US nuclear bombs in the country is at several dozen units.
Germany turns a blind eye to Israeli nuclear weapons
During his meeting with the occupation PM last week, German Chancellor Olaf Scholz claimed that Iran was trying to develop nuclear weapons, stressing that Tehran should not be allowed to have nukes. The German Chancellor also said Germany gives priority to diplomacy for resolving the nuclear file, claiming at the same time that Iran was a "real threat".
"Claiming that the Islamic Republic of Iran is trying to obtain nuclear weapons and that this is a threat to others is a repetition of the German authorities’ constant move to join voices with the Zionist regime," Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesperson Nasser Kanaani considered.
The Iranian official pointed out that "it is surprising that German authorities portray Iran’s peaceful nuclear program, which is under the strictest monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency, as a threat, while they do not comment about threats posed by the fake, occupying and anti-international law Zionist regime’s large nuclear stockpile."
Read more: Macron apparently forgot dozens of Israeli nuclear warheads: Kanaani
