Russia confirms readiness to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus

The Kremlin announced its readiness to deploy nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus. According to Dmitry Peskov, an official spokesman for the Kremlin, Russia will proceed to act so should the USA and NATO refuse to provide Russia with any security guarantees.

"It is no secret to anyone that, of course, the deployment of various types of NATO weapons near our borders, which may pose a threat to us, will require appropriate steps in order to balance the situation. A variety of options are possible here,” said Dmitry Peskov.

Experts note that the deployment of nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus may reduce the time for a nuclear strike on NATO by several tens of minutes. Apparently, it goes about medium and shorter-range missiles, which have a high efficiency in hitting targets.

Earlier, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that he was ready to give Russia the right to deploy nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus. At the same time, it turned out that all previously existing nuclear facilities used by the USSR were unusable, and the construction of new facilities, including the infrastructure for them, could cost hundreds of billion of rubles.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg said earlier that if Germany was going to refuse to provшву its territory for the deployment of this type of weapons, they may end up being deployed in other European countries, including to the east of the German borders.

"In this case, I will offer Putin to return nuclear weapons to Belarus," Lukashenko said in response to Stoltenberg's remarks.

When asked to clarify what kind of nuclear systems they could be exactly, Lukashenko noted: "We will agree, which ones they will be."

"The nuclear weapons that will be most effective in such a contact. We are ready for this on the territory of Belarus. I, as a prudent owner, pardon me, have not destroyed anything. All the sheds are still standing," he added.

After the collapse of the USSR, there were dozens of warheads for Topol strategic intercontinental missiles and more than a thousand tactical nuclear warheads in Belarus. Minsk agreed to the withdrawal of weapons after the signing of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).