NATO sees no change in Russia’s nuclear posture regardless of Belarus chief’s claims

BRUSSELS (AP) — NATO sees no signal that Russia has modified its nuclear posture, the top of the navy alliance mentioned Thursday, after President Alexander Lukashenko claimed that Belarus has already obtained some tactical nuclear weapons from Moscow.

In an interview on state tv on Tuesday, Lukashenko brashly warned that he wouldn’t hesitate to order their use if Belarus confronted an act of aggression. Russian President Vladimir Putin has mentioned the weapons shall be deployed to Belarus subsequent month and can stay beneath Moscow’s unique management.

“We are, of course, closely monitoring what Russia is doing. So far, we haven’t seen any changes in the nuclear posture that requires any changes in our posture,” NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg informed reporters earlier than chairing a gathering of NATO protection ministers on the alliance’s headquarters in Brussels.

NATO’s secretive nuclear protection planning group is about to satisfy on Friday. The assembly has lengthy been deliberate and isn’t a response to latest developments, however the alliance is worried about Putin’s threats and his choices to drag Russia out of vital arms limitation treaties.

“Russia’s nuclear rhetoric and messaging is reckless and dangerous,” Stoltenberg mentioned. “Russia must know that a nuclear war cannot be won and must never be fought.” He famous that “Russia has invested heavily in new modern nuclear capabilities and also deployed more nuclear capabilities, including close to NATO borders, for instance, in the high north.”

Earlier this 12 months, Putin introduced the deliberate deployment of short-range nuclear weapons to Moscow’s neighbor and ally Belarus in a transfer extensively seen as a warning to the West because it stepped up navy help for Ukraine. Russia can also be utilizing Belarus as a staging base for assaults in Ukraine.

During a gathering with Lukashenko on Friday, Putin mentioned work on constructing amenities for the weapons could be accomplished by July 7-8, and they might be moved to Belarusian territory rapidly after that.