A senior US official said on Sunday that the United States has “no indication” that Russia has transferred nuclear weapons to Belarus, nor that Russian President Vladimir Putin is willing to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine.
“We have no indication that he (Putin) has implemented what he announced or transferred any nuclear weapons,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told CBS in response to a question about Putin’s announcement that Moscow would deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.
Yesterday, the Russian President said that his country would respond to the West’s supply of depleted uranium missiles to Ukraine, noting that Russia possesses many weapons that it has not used yet.
Putin also considered that those who use such weapons will in fact act against their own people and pollute the cultivated areas.
He pointed out that the depleted uranium munitions that the West will send to Kiev are not considered weapons of mass destruction, but they leave radioactive dust, and therefore they are very dangerous.
Tactical nuclear weapons
This comes as the Russian President announced that Moscow and Minsk had agreed to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus.
Putin indicated on the “Russia-24” channel that the necessary hangars for these aircraft are under construction in Belarus, and will be ready as of next July.
Russian forces in Belarus (AFP)
He stressed that the reason for this step was Britain’s announcement of its intention to supply Ukraine with depleted uranium ammunition, noting that Belarus had requested the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons on its territory for a long time.
