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Russian President Vladimir Putin mentioned on Saturday that Moscow would station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Russian state media reported.
Russia will “full development of a storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus on July 1,” Putin mentioned, in keeping with a report by Ria Novosti.
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has agreed to the deployment, which received’t violate obligations below nuclear nonproliferation agreements, Putin was quoted as saying. Moscow wouldn’t switch management of the nuclear arms to Minsk, in keeping with the studies.
“We agreed with Lukashenko that we’d place tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus with out violating the nonproliferation regime,” Putin mentioned, in keeping with Tass.
“The US has been doing this for many years,” Putin was quoted as saying. “They deployed their tactical nuclear weapons way back on the territories of their allies, NATO international locations, in Europe,” he mentioned.
“We’ve agreed [with Belarus] that we are going to do the identical. I stress that this won’t violate our worldwide agreements on nuclear non-proliferation,” Putin mentioned.
Russia has already stationed 10 plane in Belarus able to carrying tactical nuclear weapons, he mentioned.
The U.S. mentioned it will “monitor the implications” of Putin’s plan however wouldn’t modify its nuclear weapons technique.
“We’ve not seen any motive to regulate our personal strategic nuclear posture nor any indications Russia is getting ready to make use of a nuclear weapon,” Nationwide Safety Council spokesperson Adrienne Watson mentioned. “We stay dedicated to the collective protection of the NATO alliance.”
The event got here as intense combating continued across the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, which Russia has been attempting to seize for months. The Russian forces’ assault in town has “largely stalled,” the British Protection Ministry mentioned on Saturday.
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy mentioned in his nightly tackle Saturday night that Moscow “should lose” in its battle of aggression in opposition to Ukraine. “We’re doing every little thing potential and in all places in order that Russian revanchism loses in each aspect of its aggression in opposition to Ukraine and the liberty of countries typically,” he mentioned.
“Russia should lose on the battlefield, within the economic system, in worldwide relations, and in its makes an attempt to interchange the historic reality with some imperial myths,” Zelenskyy mentioned. “It’s the full-scale defeat of Russia that might be a dependable assure in opposition to new aggressions and crises.”
The U.Okay. Protection Ministry mentioned there was “excessive attrition” on the Russian aspect round Bakhmut, however that “Ukraine has additionally suffered heavy casualties” in its protection of the realm, which has turn into a focus of the battle.
Moscow could also be shifting its operational focus following “inconclusive outcomes from its makes an attempt to conduct a common offensive since January 2023,” the ministry mentioned.
Gabriel Gavin contributed reporting.
This story has been up to date.
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