MOSCOW, May 21. /TASS/. The nuclear triad must continue to serve as a guarantor of the sovereignty of the Union State of Russia and Belarus and as an instrument for maintaining nuclear parity and the global balance of power, Russian President Vladimir Putin said during a joint nuclear forces drills with Belarus.

"Given the growing tensions in the world and the emergence of new threats and risks, our nuclear triad must continue to serve as a reliable guarantor of the sovereignty of the Union State of Russia and Belarus, ensuring the fulfillment of the tasks of strategic deterrence and maintaining nuclear parity and the global balance of power," the BelTA news agency quoted the Russian leader as saying.