Belarus’ UN envoy calls plan to host nukes “forced” retaliation

March 31, BPN. Belarus “is taking forced retaliatory actions to develop its defense potential in a manner that is consistent and absolutely transparent for its neighbors and the entire international community,” said Valancin Rybakoŭ, Belarus’ permanent representative to the United Nations, on March 31.

He told the UN Security Council meeting on Russia’s plan to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus that “unilateral coercive measures in politics and economics are accompanied by a military build-up in our neighboring NATO member states,” and that “Belarus is subject to unprecedented political, economic, financial and media pressure, which directly violates the Budapest Memorandum.”

Minsk’s diplomat thanked Ukraine for taking the issue to the Security Council: “Both the Security Council and the entire international community should finally pay close attention to the real danger of NATO’s nuclear sharing and the US’ long-standing nuclear deployment outside its national jurisdiction. We call on Ukraine not to stop halfway and to strongly, courageously demand that NATO stop the nuclear sharing practice.”

Rybakoŭ suggested that “all those willing to deal with Belarus’ supposed human rights problems” should “first sort out the problems” in their own countries.

He commented on Belarusian opposition leader Śviatłana Cichanoŭskaja’s letter to the Security Council, which called for preventing the deployment of nuclear arms in Belarus, by saying: “You table documents by private personalities who represent no one but themselves and are fully funded by you, the Western donors.”

“Maybe it’s time for these countries’ taxpayers to ask their governments what money goes to the so-called Belarusian opposition, who exactly pays it, what are its sources, and why you seem to be so rich as to spend that money on fugitive Belarusian nationals rather than on your own countries’ problems,” the envoy said.