Belarus blames West, NATO pressure for decision to host Russian nuclear weapons

Minsk [Belarus], March 28 : Belarus has blamed "unprecedented pressure" from the United States, Great Britain and their NATO allies for the decision to host Russian tactical weapons in its territory, according to the statement released by Belarus' Foreign Ministry in response to TASS agency's question.
According to the statement, Belarus said, "Over the past two and a half years, the Republic of Belarus has been subjected to unprecedented political, economic and informational pressure from the United States, Great Britain and their NATO allies, as well as the member states of the European Union."
"This direct and gross interference in the internal affairs of an independent state, aimed at changing the geopolitical course and changing the internal political system of Belarus, directly contradicts the obligations assumed by individual signatories of the Memorandum on Security Guarantees in connection with the accession of the Republic of Belarus to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT)," the statement read.
In the statement, Belarus further stated that deploying Russian nuclear weapons on its territory is not against the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).
Military cooperation between Belarus and Russia is carried out in strict accordance with international law," the ministry told TASS on Tuesday.
"The training of Belarusian pilots capable of flying aircraft with specific ammunition, the modernization of such aircraft, as well as the deployment of nuclear warheads on the territory of Belarus without transferring control over them to Minsk, as well as access to appropriate technologies, do not in any way contravene the provisions of Articles I and II of the NPT," it added.
NATO has long had the practice of "joint nuclear missions", the aircraft of the Alliance member countries are certified for flights with nuclear weapons, the flight personnel for such "missions" are being trained, and appropriate exercises are being conducted. More than 150 US tactical nuclear weapons are stored on the territory of European NATO member countries, and more than 250 aircraft have been prepared for their possible use, according to the statement.
The Belarusian side is convinced that the confrontational rhetoric and the unfolding spiral of the arms race should be replaced by a constructive and mutually respectful dialogue aimed at strengthening the architecture of global and regional security, multilateral mechanisms for disarmament, non-proliferation and arms control, including in the nuclear sphere.
"We called for this and continue to call on all our partners," Belarus said in a statement.
This statement came after Russia, at the request of the Belarusian side, announced that it will deploy its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

"Even out of the context of these events, this statement (about the possible supply of depleted uranium shells by the UK to Ukraine - TASS), Alexander Grigorievich Lukashenko has long raised the issue of deploying Russian tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus," Putin said.

Earlier, President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko, in response to the UK's plans to supply depleted uranium shells to Ukraine, said that Russia would supply Belarus "ammunition with real uranium."

"As for our negotiations with Alexander Grigorievich Lukashenko... The reason (for the statements of the Belarusian leader - TASS) was the statement by the British Minister of State for Defense [Annabel Goldie] that they were going to supply shells with depleted uranium to Ukraine, which is somehow connected with nuclear technology," Putin said.