MOSCOW, December 24. /TASS/. Russia regards Minsk’s readiness to host nuclear weapons as a response to NATO policies and as a strategic move made on the basis of the current situation, Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Zakharova told a news briefing on Friday.

"It would be wrong to speculate that there are some special or covert plans behind this. It is a realistic assessment of the situation on the ground and an understanding of the strategy and tactics of countries, political systems, and their individual representatives we have to deal with today. The corresponding measures, goals, and tasks are built on this basis," Zakharova said about Belarus' declared readiness to host Russian nuclear weapons.

"You should be aware where this issue emerged from — NATO countries’ continued hostile actions. The Russian leadership replied that if this trend persists, such actions — hostile, unfriendly, and aggressive — will entail a proportionate response, including a military-technical one," she stressed.

Earlier, Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said that his country would be ready to host nuclear weapons if threatened by NATO. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said before that Minsk would invite Moscow to take such measures if NATO brought nuclear weapons to Poland.