New Delhi: As Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Saturday he would deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, the United States reacted cautiously to the statement, with a senior administration official saying it would “monitor the implications” of Putin’s announcement, news agency Associated Press reported.
“We have not seen any reason to adjust our own strategic nuclear posture nor any indications Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon,” National Security Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson said. “We remain committed to the collective defense of the NATO alliance.”
The deployment of a nuclear weapon in Belarus, according to the Russian President, will not violate nuclear non-proliferation treaties. He further stated that the US has also stationed nuclear weapons on the territory of European allies "for decades."
"There is nothing unusual here either: the United States has been doing this for decades. They have long placed their tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of their allies," Putin said to validate the move, reported AFP.
He said that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has long advocated for the stationing of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, which borders Poland.
He went on to say that Moscow has previously given Belarus a number of Iskander tactical missile systems that may be used to fire nuclear weapons. According to Putin, Russia has stationed 10 planes in Belarus that are capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons.
Russia will complete the construction of a tactical nuclear weapons storage facility in Belarus by July 1, and control of the weapons will not be transferred to Minsk, according to Putin.
The deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus came as the US imposed new sanctions on President Alexander Lukashenko's regime for its continued support for Russia's war in Ukraine. The sanctions also target Lukashenko's anti-democracy crackdown.
The recently imposed restrictions targeted significant Belarusian manufacturers as well as Lukashenko's personal benefits. His lavish Boeing 737 aircraft, which he uses for personal trips with his family and acquaintances, was specifically identified as a possession associated with Lukashenko, who had previously been subjected to personal sanctions.
The development comes as the battle between Russian and Ukrainian soldiers intensifies in the town of Bakhmut, with British military intelligence claiming that Russia is shifting to a defensive strategy in eastern Ukraine.
"The Bakhmut path is the most challenging. The situation is being stabilised thanks to the titanic efforts of the defence forces," Gen. Valerii Zaluzhnyi said in a Telegram post describing a phone call with Adm. Sir Tony Radakin, Britain's chief of defence staff.