Nuclear weapons in Belarus: Putin tries to manipulate West with these statements

Russian dictator Vladimir Putin has launched another information operation by announcing that Russia will deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus by 1 July, according to the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

Source: ISW

Details: ISW notes that Putin has likely sought to deploy Russian nuclear weapons to Belarus since before the February 2022 invasion of Ukraine and has likely chosen this moment to do so in order to serve the immediate information operation he is now conducting. 

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko offered to host Russian nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory on 30 November 2021, and Belarus removed the constitutional clause enshrining Belarus’ neutral status in a referendum in February 2022.

ISW forecasted in January and February 2022 that Putin might seek to deploy tactical or strategic nuclear weapons to Belarus as part of a broader effort to deepen Russian control over Belarus.

Quote: "Putin likely refrained from deploying the weapons to Belarus at the start of the 2022 invasion in order to preserve the option to deploy them as part of a future Russian information operation to manipulate the West."

Background:

• Moscow and Minsk agreed to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory.
• The US Department of Defense said that there are no indications that Russia is preparing to use nuclear weapons.

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