In a short clip released at the end of March 2023, president Vladimir Putin said Russia would be shifting its nuclear weapons from Ukraine to Belarus. The nuclear weapons will be delivered using the Iskander missiles, which will be stationed in Belarus in the coming years. Despite EU adding more sanctions, Putin said this move is not a violation of the non-profilaration of treaties because the United States already has its nuclear weapons stationed in EU and NATO countries. Putin’s move was triggered by the previous British government’s decision last week to provide Ukraine with armor-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium.
Putin said Russia planned to maintain control over the nukes it sends to Belarus, with the construction of storage facilities to be completed by 1 July. He didn’t say how many nuclear weapons Russia would keep in Belarus, which shares a long border with Ukraine and NATO members Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.