Belarus President Alyaksandr Lukashenka said that "several dozen Russian nuclear weapons" were deployed in Belarus, a move that has raised concerns in the West that Moscow's war against Ukraine could spread.
Speaking at the All-Belarusian People's Assembly in Minsk that was broadcast live on YouTube on April 25, Lukashenka, a key ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said the gathering had unanimously adopted a new military doctrine that considers the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil as a strategic deterrent.
Belarus has provided logistical support to Russia since it launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. Since then, Moscow has moved tactical nuclear weapons into Belarus -- the first relocation of such warheads outside Russia since the fall of the Soviet Union.
NATO has called the move "dangerous and irresponsible."
Lukashenka called on the West to "end the standoff with Russia by calling it a draw," which would spur the peace process and end the conflict in Ukraine.
"Otherwise Ukraine stops existing," he said.
@VOTA1 r1Y
How does the deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus by Russia make you feel about global security and your personal safety?
@VOTA1 r1Y
If you were a leader in a neighboring country, how would you respond to the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus?
@VOTA1 r1Y
Do you think the placement of nuclear weapons in Belarus is a justified defensive strategy or an unnecessary provocation?
@VOTA1 r1Y
How do you see the role of international organizations like NATO in addressing the deployment of nuclear weapons to Belarus?
@VOTA1 r1Y
Considering President Lukashenka's statement on ending the standoff with a 'draw,' what do you think is the best path to peace in this situation?
