BRUSSELS, June 30. /TASS/. Poland wants to take part in NATO’s Nuclear Sharing program over Russia’s deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Polish Prime Minister Mateusz Morawiecki said during a press conference after the EU summit in Brussels Friday.
"Because Russia intends to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, we address the entire NATO to take part in the Nuclear Sharing program," he said.
Morawiecki underscored that this must be a decision made by the US and NATO allies.
"We do not want to stand idly by," the prime minister said. "The final decision will depend on our partners in the US and NATO. We declare our desire for quick action in this area."
On March 25, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that at Minsk’s request, Moscow would deploy its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, similar to what the United States had long been doing on the territory of its allies. Moscow has already provided Minsk with Iskander tactical missile systems capable of carrying nuclear weapons and has helped Minsk to re-equip its planes to carry specialized weapons. Missile crews and pilots have undergone training in Russia. On June 16, Putin said that the first Russian nuclear warheads had already been delivered to Belarus and the entire batch would be deployed by the end of the year. On June 23, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that a significant part of nuclear munitions planned for delivery is already inside the republic.