Belarus says NATO expansion, not nukes, a threat to European security

March 30, BPN. The Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has reacted to the European Union’s warning that new sanctions would be imposed if Russian nuclear weapons are deployed in Belarus.

The reaction was posted to Twitter four days after the initial warning. On March 26, the EU’s top diplomat Josep Borrell said “Belarus hosting Russian nuclear weapons would mean an irresponsible escalation and threat to European security.” In his view, Belarus “can still stop it,” as the EU “stands ready to respond with further sanctions.”

The foreign ministry said “the deployment of new NATO forces near the borders of Belarus and the alliance’s further expansion in Northern Europe” constitute “irresponsible escalation” and are “the key factors threatening European security.”

Earlier this week, a spokesman for the Belarusian foreign ministry said Russia’s plan to deploy tactical nuclear weapons will enhance Belarus’ security and defense capabilities. The move is in response to “unprecedented political, economic and informational pressure” from the United States, United Kingdom and their NATO allies, Anatol Hłaz noted.

Vladimir Putin said in an interview with the Rossiya 24 TV channel on March 25 that a special storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus would be completed by July 1. The West and Belarusian democratic forces denounced this plan, while China made some cautious comments.