Title: Russian Agreement Raises Concerns in the European Union

The European Union condemned today, Friday, the agreement between Moscow and Minsk to deploy Russian nuclear warheads in Belarus. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stated, "This is a step that will lead to further extremely dangerous escalation," noting that the decision violates several international agreements, and urged Russia to "respect those commitments." He added, "The regime in Belarus is complicit in Russia’s illegal and unjustified aggression against Ukraine." Borrell called on the Belarusian authorities to "immediately halt their support for Russia’s aggressive war against Ukraine and to reverse decisions that will only escalate tensions in the region and undermine Belarus's sovereignty." He emphasized that any attempt to "further escalate the situation will be met with a strong and coordinated response." On Thursday, Russia proceeded with its plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, which its president stated were already en route. Russian President Vladimir Putin announced the plan in March.