Russia ships nuclear weapons to Belarus

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko announced on Tuesday, June 14, that Belarus has already received some of the nuclear weapons Russia had said it would be sending over. President Lukashenko said he wouldn’t hesitate to order the use of the weapons if his country faces aggression.

“There will be an immediate decision, I have already said this several times in advance, there will be an immediate answer,” Lukashenko said. “I believe no one would be willing to fight a country that has those weapons. Those are weapons of deterrence. God forbid, you understand me, God forbid, I will have to make a decision on the use of these weapons in modern times.”

Earlier this year, Russian President Putin announced that Russia would deploy short-range nuclear weapons to Belarus. It was a move widely seen as a warning to the West as it stepped up military support for Ukraine.

Lukashenko’s comments Tuesday appear to contradict what President Putin said when he met with Lukashenko on Friday, June 9. Putin said the facilities where the nuclear weapons will be stored would be built by July 7-8, and the weapons would be moved to Belarusian territory quickly after that.

Putin also emphasized that the weapons would remain under Moscow’s exclusive control. Lukashenko said Tuesday that he would consult with Putin before using any of the weapons.

“Listen, if a war starts, do you think I will look around?” Lukashenko said. “I pick up the phone, and wherever he is, he picks it up… if he calls, I pick it up any time. It’s no problem at all to coordinate launching a strike.”

Russia didn’t say how many of its tactical nuclear weapons would be sent to Belarus. The U.S. government believes Russia has about 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons. These include bombs that can be carried by aircraft, warheads for short-range missiles and artillery rounds.