МИД Украины. Фото: Reform.by
Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry has described the nuclear drills conducted by Belarus and Russia as a challenge to global security and called for tougher sanctions against Minsk and Moscow.
“The deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus and the joint nuclear exercises of the two dictatorships constitute an unprecedented challenge to the global security architecture.
The joint rehearsals of strikes directly violate fundamental Articles 1 and 2 of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT), which strictly prohibit nuclear states from transferring control over weapons of mass destruction technologies and non-nuclear signatories from accepting such control,” the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
Ukraine stated that Russia is deliberately turning Belarus into an accomplice in nuclear blackmail.
“By turning Belarus into its nuclear bridgehead near NATO borders, the Kremlin is effectively legitimising the proliferation of nuclear weapons worldwide and creating a dangerous precedent for other authoritarian regimes. Such actions must receive unequivocal and strong condemnation from all states that respect the nuclear non-proliferation regime.
The militarisation of Belarus not only undermines trust in international law but also definitively turns Minsk into an accomplice in Russian nuclear blackmail,” the ministry said.
Ukraine believes that the actions of Russia and Belarus should not go unanswered and that sanctions against Moscow and Minsk must be strengthened.
“The audacity of Moscow and Minsk, which have deliberately crossed all the NPT’s ‘red lines’, cannot remain without a strong consolidated response and systematic deterrence of both regimes by the Euro-Atlantic community and the entire world.
An effective response to Russian-Belarusian sabre-rattling near NATO borders should include a sharp increase in sanctions pressure on Moscow and Minsk, substantial growth in support for Ukraine, which is directly restraining both regimes from further expansion in Europe, strengthening the allied presence on NATO’s eastern flank and deepening security cooperation with Ukraine,” the statement said.
On May 18, the Belarusian Defence Ministry announced the start of drills involving military units responsible for the combat use of nuclear weapons and nuclear support. The exercises involve missile forces and aviation in coordination with Russia. They are expected to include practising the delivery of nuclear munitions and preparations for their use.