Russian Ambassador Says Moscow Will Place Nuclear Weapons Near Belarusian-NATO Border Despite Riots

Illustration of the Russian SS-27 Sickle B intercontinental ballistic missile. (Wikimedia Commons/Vitaly Ragulin)

JAKARTA - Russia will move its tactical nuclear weapons near Belarus' western border, Russia's envoy to Minsk said on Sunday, placing them near the border of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) member state, risks increasing the deadlock in Moscow's relations with the West.

In one of Russia's most prominent nuclear signals since the start of the invasion of Ukraine 13 months ago, President Vladimir Putin last week said Russia would place tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

The two neighboring Slavia countries have officially become part of the "union" and have been in talks for years to integrate further.

The weapons "will be moved to the western border of our union nation and will increase the possibility of ensuring security," Russian Ambassador to Belarus, Boris Gryzlov, told Belarusian state television.

"This will be done despite the noise in Europe and the United States," he said.

Gryzlov did not specify where the weapons would be placed, but stressed that storage facilities would be completed, as ordered by President Putin on July 1 and then transferred to the western part of Belarus.

Belarus borders Lithuania and Latvia to the north and Poland to the west, which is part of NATO's eastern side. This side has previously been strengthened with additional military troops and equipment, following Russia's invasion of Ukraine.

Meanwhile, the US and other Kyiv allies have expressed concern about Russia's possibility of sending tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus. President Joe Biden said it was "worrying".

Earlier, President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday Belarus would also allow Russia to place intercontinental nuclear missiles in its territory if needed.