Vladimir Putin has confirmed that a first batch of nuclear weapons has been deployed to Russia’s client state of Belarus. And he sent a blunt message to the West to “go to hell” over its demands that Russia reduce its nuclear arms.
Belarus, ruled since 1994 by key Putin ally Aleksandr Lukashenko, served as a launchpad for Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine last year. And Lukashenko has already said he would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons if his country is the target of aggression.
On Friday (June 16) Putin told an audience at the St Petersburg Economic Forum – a business gathering known as “Russia’s Davos” – that the weapons would only be used if Russia’s territory or state is threatened.
Read more: Putin considering use of tactical nuclear weapons in Ukraine
It is the first time Moscow has deployed nuclear weapons outside its borders since the fall of the Soviet Union. When asked about the possibility of using the 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.”
In a three-hour speech, Putin also said: “We have more nuclear missiles than Nato countries, and they want to reduce our numbers.”
“Go to hell,” he added, to applause from delegates.
In another warning to the West, the 70-year-old Russian leader also implied Russia may strike F-16 jets meant for Ukraine, even on Nato soil.
Putin also repeated his claim that Ukraine stood no chance of succeeding in its ongoing counter-offensive, claiming its losses were more than 10 times those of Russia, and it was running out of weapons manufactured at home.
“Everything with which they fight and everything that they use is brought in from the outside,” he said. “You cannot fight for long like that.”
“We don’t see any indications that Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon,” US secretary of state Antony Blinken said after Putin’s comments.
