Ukraine, NATO and the EU have criticized Vladimir Putin’s plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, and Kiev has called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to be scheduled.
The Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has issued a statement criticizing the plans of the Russian president. “Russia reaffirms its chronic inability to be a responsible steward of nuclear weapons as a means of deterring and preventing war, and not as an instrument of threat and intimidation,” the Ukrainian ministry said.
In addition, Kiev plans to hold an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council. “Ukraine expects effective actions to counter the nuclear blackmail of the Kremlin by the United Kingdom, China, the United States and France,” referring to the countries with a permanent seat in that body, in addition to Russia.
From Ukraine, note also the comments of the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council, Oleksiy Danilov: “The Kremlin has taken Belarus as a nuclear hostage.”
According to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW), based in Washington, Putin will have considered taking this measure before the invasion, as the ISW predicted in January last year. Not surprisingly: Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko had offered to welcome Russian nuclear weapons in November 2021, and Belarus ended its neutrality status after a plebiscite in February 2022. In October, Putin assured that he would not use nuclear weapons in Ukraine: “It has no sense, neither politically nor militarily.”
On Saturday, Putin announced that Russia would station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring and allied Belarus “without violating international nuclear non-proliferation agreements”. Tactical nuclear weapons are intended for battlefield use and have a shorter range compared to warheads equipped with longer-range missiles, which are called strategic.
In addition to Kiev, Brussels, through the head of diplomacy Josep Borrell, criticized the Kremlin’s measure, saying it is “another escalation in the conflict” and “another proof of the cooperation of the dictatorial regime of Belarus with Russia “.
Also in the Belgian capital, NATO condemned the Kremlin’s statements, calling it “dangerous and irresponsible Russian nuclear rhetoric”. Atlantic Alliance spokesman Oana Lungescu also said that NATO is “monitoring the situation very closely” and that she has not seen “any change in the Russian position” that would lead to “adjustment of the position”.
In Washington, the US said it would “follow the implications” of Putin’s announcement, although Washington has so far “not seen any indication that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon,” the National Security Council spokeswoman said, Adrian Watson.
And in Berlin, the Foreign Ministry joined the Kiev speech, speaking of a “new attempt at nuclear intimidation”, after also stating that President Putin’s “comparison to NATO’s nuclear presence is misleading and cannot be used to justify the measure announced by Russia”.
Source: DN
