BBC:
Ukraine war: Putin confirms first nuclear weapons moved to Belarus
IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERSImage caption,
Vladimir Putin said moving nuclear weapons was about "containment"
Russia has already stationed a first batch of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Vladimir Putin says.
Speaking at an economic forum, he said they would only be used if Russia's territory or state was threatened.
The US government says there is no indication the Kremlin plans to use nuclear weapons to attack Ukraine.
"We don't see any indications that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after Mr Putin's comments.
Belarus is a key Russian ally and served as a launchpad for Mr Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year.
Mr Putin said transferring the tactical nuclear warheads would be completed by the end of the summer.
Answering questions after a speech at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, Russia's president said the move was about "containment" and to remind anyone "thinking of inflicting a strategic defeat on us".
When asked by the the forum's moderator about the possibility of using those weapons, he replied: "Why should we threaten the whole world? I have already said that the use of extreme measures is possible in case there is a danger to Russian statehood."
The Russian leader is due to meet African leaders in St Petersburg after they visited Kyiv on Friday as part of a peace initiative they are presenting to both countries.
However while they were in the city it came under Russian missile attack.
Vladimir Putin said moving nuclear weapons was about "containment"
Russia has already stationed a first batch of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Vladimir Putin says.
Speaking at an economic forum, he said they would only be used if Russia's territory or state was threatened.
The US government says there is no indication the Kremlin plans to use nuclear weapons to attack Ukraine.
"We don't see any indications that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said after Mr Putin's comments.
Belarus is a key Russian ally and served as a launchpad for Mr Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February last year.
Mr Putin said transferring the tactical nuclear warheads would be completed by the end of the summer.
Answering questions after a speech at the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, Russia's president said the move was about "containment" and to remind anyone "thinking of inflicting a strategic defeat on us".
When asked by the the forum's moderator about the possibility of using those weapons, he replied: "Why should we threaten the whole world? I have already said that the use of extreme measures is possible in case there is a danger to Russian statehood."
The Russian leader is due to meet African leaders in St Petersburg after they visited Kyiv on Friday as part of a peace initiative they are presenting to both countries.
However while they were in the city it came under Russian missile attack.
IMAGE SOURCE,REUTERSImage caption,
The African leaders are due to meet Mr Putin on Saturday
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called for de-escalation on both sides and negotiations for peace.
"We came here to listen and recognise what the people of Ukraine have gone through," he said.
But Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said instead of making diplomatic overtures to Russia it should be frozen out diplomatically to send a message that the international community condemned its invasion.
Kyiv would not enter negotiations with Moscow while it still occupied Ukrainian territory, Mr Zelensky said.
Mr Putin also repeated his claim that Ukraine stood no chance of succeeding in its ongoing counter-offensive.
The Ukrainian military was also running out of its own military equipment and would soon only be using Western-donated equipment, he said.
"You can't fight for long like that," he said, warning that any F16 US fighter jets given to Ukraine "will burn, no doubt about it".
Ukraine has previously dismissed similar remarks, asserting they are making progress in recapturing territory in both eastern and southern Ukraine.
On Friday, Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar said in the south of the country units had advanced 2km in all directions.
The BBC cannot independently verify battlefield claims.
The Russian leader also addressed economic themes, claiming that Western sanctions on Russia had failed to isolate it and instead led to an expansion in its trade with "the markets of the future".
He praised new deals with countries in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America - calling them "reliable, responsible partners".
The African leaders are due to meet Mr Putin on Saturday
South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called for de-escalation on both sides and negotiations for peace.
"We came here to listen and recognise what the people of Ukraine have gone through," he said.
But Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said instead of making diplomatic overtures to Russia it should be frozen out diplomatically to send a message that the international community condemned its invasion.
Kyiv would not enter negotiations with Moscow while it still occupied Ukrainian territory, Mr Zelensky said.
Mr Putin also repeated his claim that Ukraine stood no chance of succeeding in its ongoing counter-offensive.
The Ukrainian military was also running out of its own military equipment and would soon only be using Western-donated equipment, he said.
"You can't fight for long like that," he said, warning that any F16 US fighter jets given to Ukraine "will burn, no doubt about it".
Ukraine has previously dismissed similar remarks, asserting they are making progress in recapturing territory in both eastern and southern Ukraine.
On Friday, Ukraine's Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar said in the south of the country units had advanced 2km in all directions.
The BBC cannot independently verify battlefield claims.
The Russian leader also addressed economic themes, claiming that Western sanctions on Russia had failed to isolate it and instead led to an expansion in its trade with "the markets of the future".
He praised new deals with countries in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America - calling them "reliable, responsible partners".
There was an informal agreement after the fall of the Soviet Union that NATO nuclear assets would not be moved into former Warsaw Pact or USSR entities , even if they joined NATO, and reciprocally.
ReplyDeleteOn the principle of reprocity, Poland, Finland , Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia are now also free to accept Wankee Nukes.
The f*cking reality is with the dissolution if Warsaw pact, NATO should have gone too.
DeleteYet, for the want of WASP control, it us been expanded!
Reciprocity?
Yaloh - in yr wet dream as interpreted by u!
When the USSR dissolved, Russia inherited a gigantic military , together with an entire political and military class which still regarded the West as The Enemy.
DeleteSo NATO was supposed to dissolve and allow Russian tanks a free ride to drive until the Atlantic Ocean ?
It was never going to happen.
Nobody is that stupid
Yet, u r obviously one!
DeleteBased on yr insistently regurgitation of the Russko failures in advancing in Ukraine battlefields!
Btw haven't u forgotten that the POI is reciprocity?
Oooop… inconsistency is deep in yr gene!