MINSK, March 25. /TASS/. Tactical nuclear weapons deployed on Belarusian soil could be used if the need arises, Russian Ambassador to Belarus Boris Gryzlov said in a comment for RT released via Telegram.
"Tactical nuclear weapons, too, have been stationed in Belarus, and they can be used, if need be. So, I think there is top-level security on the border of the Union State," the Russian diplomat said ahead of the inauguration of Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko.
Russian President Vladimir Putin announced his decision exactly on this date two years ago to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus at Minsk’s request, similar to what the United States had long done on the territory of its allies. On April 25, 2024, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko confirmed that several dozen nuclear warheads had been stationed in Belarus.
Under the latest agreement on security guarantees that took effect in the Union State earlier this month, the two countries view Russian nukes as a key factor in preventing nuclear conflicts or military conflicts involving conventional arms, as well as a means of containment that can only be used as an absolute last resort.
Besides, Russian nuclear weapons can be used in response to the use of nukes or other weapons of mass destruction against either of the two Union countries. Also, they can be used in the event of aggression against either Russia or Belarus, with conventional weapons, that may pose a critical threat to their sovereignty or territorial integrity. The decision to use Russian nuclear weapons stationed in Belarus for the latter’s protection should be made according to procedures established by the two countries.