Lukashenko promises nuclear weapons to Belarus

Russia and Belarus' president, Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of President Vladimir Putin, promised nuclear weapons to any nation that joined Russia and Belarus.

The comments came just days after the Belarusian leader confirmed the transfer of Russian nuclear weapons to his country. Putin has repeatedly hinted at a nuclear escalation since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, which has significantly increased tensions with the United States and the West.

It's very simple. You have to join the union between Russia and Belarus and that s it: there will be nuclear weapons for everyone, Mr Lukashenko said in a radio interview with Russian state TV.

I think it s possible, he said, adding that he was expressing his own opinion. We need to acknowledge that we have a unique chance to unite. Lukashneko, one of Russia's staunchest supporters of President Vladimir Putin, made the comment in response to earlier remarks by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during a summit in Moscow on Wednesday.

On Wednesday's forum of the Eurasian Economic Union in Moscow, Tokayev said that Belarus and Russia enjoy a close relationship where even nuclear weapons are shared between the two countries. In 1999, the Union State between Russia and Belarus was created and allows the former Soviet republics to integrate economically, politically, and militarily.

On Thursday, the Belarusian leader confirmed that Russia has moved on the plan to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus, first announced in March.

It comes amid escalating nuclear rhetoric from Putin as his war effort in Ukraine flounders. Putin said Russia has the largest stockpile of nuclear weapons in the world and will not hesitate to use it if the country's security or existence is endangered.

Belarus, which does not have its own nuclear weapons after it transferred the stock it inherited from the Soviet era to Russia in the 1990s, is not officially a party to the war in Ukraine, although Moscow used its territory to launch the full-scale invasion last year.

After violent protests failed to topple Europe's last dictator in 2020, Putin ushered in the authoritarian regime of Lukashenko, deepening the country's political and economic dependence on Russia.

In March, the Russian leader announced his plans to launch nuclear weapons to Belarus, on Lukashenko's request, drawing condemnation from the West.

Lukashenko confirmed on Thursday that the movement of nuclear weapons had already begun on Thursday, without specifying whether they had already reached Belarusian soil, according to the Belarusian state news agency Belta.

Russian Defence Ministers of the two countries, Sergei Shoigu and Viktor Khrenin, signed documents in Minsk last week, defining the procedure for keeping Russian nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory, the Russian defense ministry said.

Moscow has already handed over the Iskander missile system to Minsk, which can carry nuclear weapons, and has helped in converting some Belarusian aircraft for the possible nuclear weapon use, Shoigu said.

The State Department said Thursday that the incident was the latest example of irresponsible behavior by Russia.