Russia is deploying nuclear weapons to Belarus, making the small country a greater security threat to the region.
Following Wagner’s stationing in Belarus, Russia has been using its ally as a proxy to put pressure on the West. Fox News reports:
Poland said Tuesday that Russia is shifting some short-range nuclear weapons to Belarus, a move Polish President Andrzej Duda said could change the NATO alliance in the region.
Both Russian President Vladimir Putin and his Belarusian counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, said last month Moscow had already shipped some of its tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus after announcing the plan in March.
Russia’s defense against Ukraine is currently holding, but nuclear weapons provide insurance against a Western attack into Belarus.
NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg denounced Moscow’s rhetoric as “dangerous and reckless,” but said in July that the alliance hadn’t seen any change in Russia’s nuclear posture.
Tactical nuclear weapons are intended for use on the battlefield and have a short range and a low yield compared with much more powerful nuclear warheads fitted to long-range missiles. Russia said it would maintain control over those it sends to Belarus.
A nuclear launch from Belarus would present a difficult problem for America and NATO. It would create confusion as to who would be responsible for a launch, Russia, Belarus or rogue generals.
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