Belarus plaatst Russische kernwapens infographic
Graphic shows details of Putin’s plan to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus, and the European airbases where the U.S. stores nuclear weapons.
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OEKRAÏNE

Poetin wil tactische kernwapens in Belarus stationeren

By Jordi Bou

March 27, 2023 - Russian President Vladimir Putin’s plan to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus would mark the first time since the mid-1990s that such weapons were based outside Russia.

Putin, in an interview released ahead of its broadcast on Russian state television on Sunday, provided new details of a plan that he first floated last year to base Russian weapons in Belarus, a close ally.

He said that 10 Belarusian warplanes have already been retrofitted to carry Russian nuclear weapons, and that a storage facility for the warheads would be ready by July 1.

The move underscored the Kremlin’s determination to use its vast nuclear arsenal to pressure the West to back down from its support of Ukraine.

The Russian president argued that the deployment would not breach non-proliferation agreements and that it would match similar arrangements that the U.S. has with several of its European allies.

It is estimated by the Center for Arms Control and Non-Proliferation that there are about 100 American nuclear weapons – airborne gravity bombs – stored in Europe across six bases in five countries, although they are retained in the control of the U.S.

Sources
PUBLISHED: 27/03/2023; STORY: Graphic News; PICTURES: Getty Images
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