Belarus announced today, Tuesday, that it has decided to host Russian tactical nuclear weapons after years of pressure from the United States and its allies aimed at changing its political and geopolitical direction.
The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs justified its decision to cooperate with Russia by stating that "Minsk is working to protect itself from the West."
In a statement issued today, it added, "For the past two and a half years, the Republic of Belarus has faced unprecedented political, economic, and media pressure from the United States, the United Kingdom, and their NATO allies, as well as from European Union member states."
It considered that under these circumstances and the legitimate concerns and risks posed to national security, "Belarus finds itself compelled to respond by enhancing its security and defense capabilities."
Minsk believes that the Russian nuclear plans do not contradict international non-proliferation agreements "since Belarus itself will not have control over the weapons."
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Saturday that Moscow will look to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in its strong ally and neighbor, Belarus, in the future.
