President Vladimir Putin on Friday said that Russia had sent nuclear arms to its ally Belarus which borders Ukraine which he threatened to use in the event of depleted uranium is used on Russia.
“The first nuclear warheads were delivered to the territory of Belarus… This is the first part,” Putin said at an annual economic forum held in St Petersburg.
Meanwhile, he barred AFP and some foreign media Russia considered unfriendly from the event.
Putin had announced plans to send tactical nuclear weapons in March.
He said the weapons were meant as deterrence to “those who are thinking of inflicting a strategic defeat on Russia”.
Speaking of transferring tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus at the event, Putin said: “By the end of summer, the end of the year, we will complete the process.”
Earlier, Putin and some Russian authorities had referred to depleted uranium as nuclear arm which prompted his threat to use nuclear weapons on Ukraine but was severely lambasted.
According to a source, after Russians explained the real meaning, Putin and other knowledgeable people stopped referring to depleted uranium as nuclear weapon.
Meanwhile, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said he has allowed his country, which borders Ukraine as well as the European Union and NATO members such as Poland and Lithuania, to serve as a launch pad for Russia’s offensive on Ukraine.
International observers noted that Putin’s announcement spurred fears of nuclear conflict, but experts said it was unlikely it would change the course of the conflict.
In the meantime, Belarusian troops have since April begun training on nuclear-capable Russian missile systems. Continue Reading…
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