BRUSSELS — The EU warned Monday that Belarus
could start hosting Russian
nuclear weapons after a “very dangerous” decision
at a referendum to drop the country’s non-nuclear status.
اضافة اعلان
“We know what does it mean for Belarus to be
nuclear. It means that
Russia will put nuclear weapons in Belarus and this is a
very dangerous path,” EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said.
The move by
Belarus comes as the country is being
condemned internationally for being used as a launchpad by Russian forces to
attack neighboring Ukraine.
Borrell slammed the “fake referendum” Sunday where
constitutional changes were approved that now allow the country to host nuclear
weapons and
Russian forces permanently, and extended the rule of leader
Alexander Lukashenko.
Lukashenko has launched a ferocious crackdown on
opponents since mass protests erupted after he claimed victory at an election
in 2020 called fraudulent by the West.
The Belarusian leader, who has been in power since
1994, has shifted decisively towards Moscow after Russian President
Vladimir Putin helped prop up his rule.
The EU is set to
impose a new raft of tough sanctions on Belarus as Minsk has facilitated
Moscow’s invasion of by acting as a staging post for forces involved in the
assault.
Western allies fear the constitutional shift from
Belarus — which neighbors three EU and NATO countries — could now bring more
Russian nuclear weapons closer to their border.
Russia has the world’s largest arsenal of nuclear
weapons and a huge cache of ballistic missiles.
Putin on Sunday ordered his nuclear forces on high alert in
a move the West said was “totally unacceptable”.
Read more Region and World
.jpg)
.jpg)
