Experts react to Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus

by time news

The International Campaign to Ban Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) has warned of a dangerous escalation in connection with Russia’s plan to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus. Experts called it an extraordinary step or an attempt to intimidate the North Atlantic Alliance.

“ICAN condemns this extremely dangerous escalation that increases the likelihood of the use of nuclear weapons,” the campaign said on Twitter. According to ICAN, the sharing of nuclear weapons worsens the situation in connection with the conflict in Ukraine and risks catastrophic humanitarian consequences.

ICAN also writes that receiving another country’s nuclear weapons on its territory is prohibited under the international Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (TPNW) – but neither Moscow nor Minsk is a party to this agreement.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced on Saturday that Russia has reached an agreement with neighboring Belarus that allows Moscow to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory. However, according to the president, Russia does not violate its promises about the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons with this agreement, writes Reuters.

“It’s part of Putin’s attempt to intimidate NATO,” Hans Kristensen, an arms and security specialist at the Federation of American Scientists (FAS), told the German weekly Die Zeit.

Expert: Big change

Analyst Nikolaj Sokol called it a very significant step. “Russia has always been very proud that it does not have nuclear weapons outside its territory. Now they are changing it and it is a big change,” said this expert from the Vienna Center for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP).

The US State Department told CNN that it will continue to monitor the consequences of Russia’s plan to place these weapons in Belarus. However, it will not change its strategy in the field of nuclear weapons.

“We see no reason to change our strategic nuclear posture and no indication that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon,” State Department spokesman Vedant Patel said in a statement.

The TPNW prohibits the use, development, production, testing and stockpiling of nuclear weapons, as well as the threat of their use. It was adopted by the UN General Assembly in July 2017 with the support of 122 countries and entered into force in January 2021.

There are officially nine countries in the world that have nuclear weapons. However, not one of them joined the TPNW, reminds the DPA agency.

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Russia will deploy tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, Putin announced

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