Belarusian aircraft adjusted to carry tactical nukes – Łukašenka

February 16, BPN. Belarus “absolutely does not need” strategic nuclear weapons, Alaksandr Łukašenka told foreign journalists in Minsk on February 16.

According to him, Belarus gave up the nuclear arsenal left from the Soviets “as the Americans insisted.”

“We had the most modern Topol-Ms [In reality, Topol. Belarus’ nuclear disarmament was fully completed in November 1996. The Topol-M system was adopted by Russia in 1997.] The most advanced weapons were here,” Łukašenka was quoted as saying by his press office. “We removed them in exchange for a guarantee from the Americans, Europeans and Russians that they would never infringe on our sovereignty and independence, that they would never apply economic sanctions to us. That’s what is written there.”

“They [the West] spit and trampled on it. They apply sanctions against us, strangling us wherever possible, in violation of that treaty. If we had these nuclear weapons, they wouldn’t have talked to us like that. So, everyone understands only force,” he said.

According to Łukašenka, Belarus does not need strategic nuclear weapons because it is not going to “strike America or even European countries.”

“And tactical nuclear weapons . . . that is what we are talking about, about preparing these aircraft that can carry tactical nuclear weapons,” he said.

Belarusian aircraft, Łukašenka said, “are ready to transport a special supply, and a pilot unit has been prepared too.” “We’ve had these planes, ready to carry this supply, since the Soviet times. And we’ve trained the people quickly,” he said.