MOSCOW: Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko has said that Moscow had begun moving nuclear arms to its territory, which borders the European Union (EU), intensifying tensions with the West over the Ukraine war.
According to AFP, the development took place as the Russian foreign ministry announced a visit to Russia by the Chinese Special Ambassador for Ukraine, Li Hui – China’s latest effort to broker an end to the war in Ukraine.
Moscow Sending Nuclear Weapons to Belarus
Li’s trip to Moscow, where he is likely to meet Russia’s top diplomat Sergei Lavrov on Friday, comes following the envoy met with Ukraine’s President Zelensky in Kyiv.
Alexander Lukashenko told the media during a visit to Moscow, “The transfer of nuclear weapons has started,”.
In the US, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre termed Moscow’s move “yet another example of making provocative and irresponsible choices.” She said, however, that “we have not seen any cause to alter our own nuclear attitude… nor any sign that Moscow is prepared to utilize nuclear arms from Belarus”. However, there was no immediate confirmation by Moscow of the nuclear arms transfer.
Alexander Lukashenko has permitted his country, which borders Ukraine, EU, and NATO member nations Lithuania and Poland, to act as a staging ground for Moscow’s Ukraine offensive.
Earlier, in March, Russian President Putin said he would position “tactical” nuclear arms in Belarus, drawing criticism from the West.
Meanwhile, Moscow said Thursday that it had sent jets to halt two US bomber airplanes from “violating the state border” on the Baltic Sea, the 2nd such occurrence this week.
The Russian defense ministry claimed it had tousled Su-35 and Su-27 fighter jets, adding it after the move, the Russian fighters “returned safely to their base”,.
Ahead of the tour by the Chinese envoy to Russia, the EU told him on Thursday that it expected China to help press Russia to stop the war in Ukraine and withdraw its forces from the country.
