Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Thursday signed an agreement with his counterpart in neighboring Belarus that allows tactical nuclear weapons to be kept on the territory of Russia’s ally.
The deal complies with “all existing international legal obligations,” Shoigu said at a signing ceremony in the Belarusian capital, Minsk. He warned that further steps can be taken to protect the collective security of the countries. At the same time, he emphasized that Russia “does not provide nuclear weapons to Belarus” and that control over their use and deployment remains “in the hands of Moscow”.