Opinion: deployment of nuclear arsenal in Belarus to be done without violating international obligations

In the current situation, the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons is the best possible response to ensure the deterrence of aggressive aspirations, including from an economic point of view – as stated by the Deputy Chairman of the Council of the Republic of the National Assembly, Valery Belsky, while commenting on the statement of Russian President Vladimir Putin that Moscow and Minsk have agreed to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus

The information about the upcoming deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus – made public by Vladimir Putin a couple of days ago – has predictably caused an emotional reaction in the West. “Various so-called experts began to exercise in assessing what heavenly punishments threaten Belarus, which initiated such a decision. Of course, they will not stop harming us, and they will do it with great frenzy if tactical nuclear weapons are deployed in the country. At the same time, the speed in promoting the scenario of an attack on Belarus will definitely decrease. The prospect of causing unacceptable damage in response to aggression will cool hotheads in unfriendly countries,” Mr. Belsky said.

The politician added, “The deployment of the arsenal will be done without violating international obligations, namely the Treaty on Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. I would like to emphasise that Belarus does not have legal obstacles, and it is also not bound by any moral restrictions, since the guarantees given as a result of the withdrawal of nuclear weapons after the USSR collapse have been rudely destroyed. The Budapest Memorandum, which guaranteed us the non-use of pressure measures, suddenly ceased to be ‘legally binding’. Our citizens, the state and business entities have been under the influence of sanctions for more than 25 years, and they were imposed less than a year after the last nuclear warhead left Belarus. A subversive anti-state work, the recruitment of extremists, the preparation and sending of terrorists are underway.”

“This is a Jesuit practice: while we were disarming and reducing our army, securing a nuclear-free status in the Constitution, our ‘guarantors’ were strengthening and expanding NATO. Against whom they have been doing that, taking into account that the Warsaw Pact has sunk into oblivion? The answer to this question is obvious, and it is not hidden by our opponents. Poland, in particular, has announced a two-fold increase of its army, and new military units are being formed mainly near the Belarusian border,” Mr. Belsky continued.

With this in view, Belarus needs to be strong so that no one even thinks of coming to its territory with aggressive intentions, and the Deputy Chairman of the Council of the Republic stressed, “The decision was made after repeated signals and warnings about the inadmissibility of unambiguous aggressive attacks against Belarus and the Union State – including legislative ones. I doubt that they have not been heard, but no conclusions have been drawn. In the situation in which we find ourselves, the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons is the best possible response to ensure the deterrence of aggressive aspirations, including from an economic point of view.”

Back in November 2021, Belarus’ President did not rule out the possibility of deploying Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus. He said that in an interview to Dmitry Kiselyov, the General Director of Rossiya Segodnya international news agency. The Head of State was asked to comment on the NATO Secretary General’s recent statement about the possibility of deploying nuclear weapons in Eastern Europe. “Well, I’ll then propose Putin to bring nuclear weapons back to Belarus," Aleksandr Lukashenko said. "What nuclear weapons do you mean?" Mr. Kiselyov asked in reply. The President then explained, “We will agree on what kind it will be. These will be nuclear weapons that will prove most effective in such an engagement. It's not for nothing that I said: we are ready for this move on the territory of Belarus. As a judicious landlord, I have destroyed nothing [of the USSR nuclear weapon infrastructure].”