Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, asserted that nations that support Russia in its conflict against Ukraine would be provided with nuclear weapons.
Per Newsweek, Lukashenko has long been a staunch supporter of Putin, and he recently provided military support to Moscow during its invasion of Ukraine, a neighboring nation to the south of Belarus.
Putin Urges Other Nations to Join Russia's 'Union State'
Russian troops were permitted to conduct military exercises on Belarusian soil and then entered Ukraine from Belarus when the invasion began in February last year. Although it is known that no Belarusian military has entered the conflict in Ukraine, its support for Russia has caused controversy on the international stage.
During an interview with Russian propagandist Pavel Zarubin that was filmed on Thursday but published on Sunday by Ukrainska Pravda, Lukashenko stated that any nation that joined the "Union State" pact between Russia and Belarus would be provided with nuclear weapons, describing the possibility as a "unique opportunity to unite."
According to reports, Russia possesses approximately 2,000 operational, tactical nuclear warheads, and it has recently decided to proceed with plans to deploy some into Belarus for the first time since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991.
Putin has been accused on multiple occasions of threatening to use nuclear weapons against Ukraine or ally nations that aid Ukraine in repelling the Russian invasion. The Kremlin retorted that Russia would only deploy nuclear weapons if its sovereignty were directly imperiled, as has been the country's conventional nuclear policy for decades.
"It's very easy. The union of Belarus and Russia should be formed, and that's all there is to it: There will be nuclear weapons for everyone," Lukashenko asserted.
Russia and Belarus are formally members of a so-called "union state" that aims to deepen the political and economic integration of the two nations, according to MSN.
On May 25 in Minsk, Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and his Belarusian counterpart Viktor Khrenin signed documents regarding placing non-strategic Russian nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil. Putin threatened to do so for the first time on March 25.
Shoigu stated that the Kremlin retains control over tactical nuclear weapons and their use, adding that Russia may take "additional measures" in the future to "ensure the security of the Union State (of Russia and Belarus) and respond to the military-political situation."
Lukashenko stated that transferring certain Russian tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus had begun. NATO, the European Union, and the United States have condemned Belarus' decision to acquire nuclear weapons.
NATO described the action as "dangerous and negligent," and EU diplomacy chief Josep Borrell described it as "a step that will lead to further exceedingly perilous escalation."
Borrell added, "Any attempt to escalate the situation further will be greeted with a strong and coordinated response."
Despite the nuclear agreement between Russia and Belarus, the White House stated on May 26 that it had not altered its nuclear threat assessment because it had not observed: "any indications that Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapons in Belarus."
According to the Institute for the Study of War's assessment released on May 26, the move is part of a decades-long effort to solidify Russia's de facto military control over Belarus.
According to the American think tank, it remains "extraordinarily unlikely" that Putin will use the nuclear weapons deployed to Belarus, Ukraine, or elsewhere.
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Russia Launches Deadliest Drone Attack in Ukraine
Overnight, Russia unleashed multiple waves of air strikes on Kyiv in what appeared to be the deadliest drone attack on the city since the beginning of the conflict as the Ukrainian capital prepared to celebrate its founding anniversary on Sunday.
Ukraine's Air Force stated that it shot down 52 of the 54 Russia-launched drones, labeling it a record attack with Iranian-made 'kamikaze' drones, in what appeared to be the first lethal attack on Kyiv in May and the fourteenth assault since the month's beginning.
According to Ukraine's Air Force, Russia had targeted military and critical infrastructure facilities in the central regions of Ukraine, and the Kyiv region in particular. It was initially unclear how many drones were fired down over Kyiv, as per ABC.net.
According to Kyiv Mayor Vitali Klitschko, a 41-year-old male was slain, and a 35-year-old woman was injured in the city. The predawn assaults occurred on the last Sunday of May when the capital was celebrating Kyiv Day, the 1,541st anniversary of its official foundation.
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