West left Belarus no choice but deploying nuclear arms: Top official
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Belarus says the West forced its hand when it came to the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons on its territory.
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Russian soldiers take part in drills at an unspecified location in Belarus on December 28, 2022 (Russian Defense Ministry Press Service via AP)
In light of Western pressure and policies forced Belarus' hand when it came to deploying Russian tactical nuclear weapons, a senior Belarusian official said on Sunday.
Belarus also had to be careful not to "cross red lines" on key strategic issues, Belarusian Security Council secretary Alexander Volfovich said.
The weapons were withdrawn after the 1991 Soviet collapse as the United States had provided security guarantees and imposed no sanctions, Volvich said.
"Today, everything has been torn down. All the promises made are gone forever," the Belta news agency quoted said.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced in late March that Russian tactical nuclear weapons would be placed in Belarus, with the storage sites for weapons expected to be finished by July 1.
Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia had clarified late in March that Russia was not violating its non-proliferation commitments by deploying tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.
Washington denounced the plan at the time, with the EU threatening Belarus with sanctions, although the Pentagon and NATO noted that there are no indications that Russia is preparing to use any nuclear weapons.
Belarus previously confirmed that the decision comes in response to years of Western pressure, including sanctions, as well as the military-build up by NATO member states near its borders.
Moreover, the recent talks about the issue come after Moscow and Minsk on Thursday signed documents outlining Russia's non-strategic nuclear weapons maintenance routine.
According to the Belarusian defense ministry, "During a meeting, [the sides] signed documents defining the procedure for maintaining Russian non-strategic nuclear weapons in a special storage facility on the territory of Belarus," adding that the deployment is a response against unfriendly countries.
Putin previously underlined that Minsk would not be given control of any nuclear weapons in Belarus.
