Putin: Nuclear weapons have been deployed in Belarus

Russian President Vladimir Putin confirmed that nuclear weapons are present in Belarus, and revealed the time when the deployment plan will be completed.

"The first nuclear warheads have been delivered to Belarus. This is the first stage of the plan. We will complete it by the fall or by the end of this year," Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum on June 16.

This is the first time President Putin has directly confirmed that Russia has deployed nuclear warheads in its neighboring country. He also stressed that the plan was agreed with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.

President Putin at the St. Petersburg International Economic Forum (SPIEF) on June 16. Photo: AFP

According to President Putin, nuclear weapons deployed in Belarus serve as a deterrent to forces that attempt to push Russia into a "strategic defeat". He criticized the West for doing everything it can to defeat Russia in Ukraine, and rejected the possibility of dialogue to reduce the number of nuclear weapons in Moscow.

"Nuclear weapons are intended to ensure maximum national security and the existence of the Russian state. However, we do not need to resort to this option," he said.

President Lukashenko announced on June 13 that Belarus has begun receiving tactical nuclear warheads from Russia, including some weapons with a destructive power three times that of the two atomic bombs used by the United States in World War II.

The plan to deploy nuclear weapons to Belarus was announced by President Putin in March. The Russian leader argued at the time that the agreement between the two countries was a reasonable move, as the US had deployed nuclear weapons in several European countries for decades.

Thanh Danh (According to Reuters )

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