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By Michael D. Carroll
Breaking News Editor
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President Alexander Lukashenko of Belarus has said that more than a dozen Russian nuclear weapons have been moved to his country.
On Tuesday in post on his Telegram account, he said "I brought nuclear warheads here. Not a few dozen of them."
He continued, "Many people write: 'Oh, it's a joke, no one brought anything in.' They did. And the fact that they ... say that it's a joke means they missed it. They didn't even notice how we brought them in."
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Russia and Belarus are already joint members of the alliance called Union State, with both Lukashenko and Russian President Putin having signed a new treaty in Minsk on Friday. Putin said the new defense agreement would allow both countries to use "all available forces and means" as part of the countries' mutual defense obligations.
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Is Putin Willing to Launch Nuclear Weapons Against the West?
In announcing the new Union State treaty on security guarantees on Friday, Putin said the new document included the potential use of the Russian tactical nuclear weapons that have been sent to Belarus, but these will still be controlled by Moscow.
Russia has the world's largest stockpile of nuclear weapons, with an estimated 5,889 warheads as of 2024, according to the Federation of American Scientists.
Over 90 percent of the world's nuclear weapons are made up of Russian and U.S. stockpiles.
"I'm sure that the treaty will ensure the security of Russia and Belarus," Putin said on Russian television.
However, Franak Viačorka, senior adviser to Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the Belarusian opposition politician who ran against Lukashenko in 2020 elections, condemned the treaty as "another betrayal of Belarusian independence."
"By aligning so closely with Putin, he isolates Belarus from the West and burns chances to drag Belarus out of Russian claws," Viačorka told Newsweek. "This course only reinforces his status as a Kremlin puppet, serving Russian interests at the expense of the Belarusian people."
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How Safe Are Nuclear Weapons in the Hands of Putin and Lukashenko?
The treaty signing comes after Putin updated Russia's nuclear doctrine, lowering the threshold for Moscow to use its enormous nuclear weapons stockpile. The new doctrine allows for a potential nuclear response by Russia even to a conventional attack by any country that is supported by a nuclear power.
Putin approved the nuclear weapons update days after Biden authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied missiles deeper inside Russia, granting a monthslong request from Zelensky. The decision to allow Ukraine to use the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS) farther into Russian territory came amid the deployment of North Korean troops in Russia.
Are Putin's Nuclear Weapons All Lukashenko Has Asked for?
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has requested the deployment of Russia's new Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile to Belarus, stating, "It will help calm some heads."
The Oreshnik missile was first used by Russia on Nov. 21, targeting a military-industrial facility in Dnipro, Ukraine. President Vladimir Putin described the strike as a response to Ukrainian attacks on Russian military facilities in the Bryansk and Kursk regions using Western-supplied weapons.
Putin emphasized the missile's capabilities, asserting that "modern air defense systems that exist in the world and antimissile defenses created by the Americans in Europe can't intercept such missiles."
The Oreshnik missile, reportedly capable of traveling at speeds exceeding Mach 10, poses significant challenges to existing defense systems. Its deployment in Belarus could alter the strategic balance in the region, potentially escalating tensions with neighboring countries and NATO.
Lukashenko's request underscores Belarus's alignment with Russia amid ongoing regional conflicts and highlights the increasing militarization in Eastern Europe.
This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.
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