2023-06-17 00:45:39
USA
The Secretary of State referred to the deployment of a first battery of tactical nuclear weapons from Russia to Belarus.
16/6/2023
The growing tension in Europe, following Russia confirmed the transfer of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, the Secretary of State of the United States, Antony Blinken, assured that Washington sees no reason to make changes in its nuclear policy because there are no “ indications” by Moscow that it is going to use weapons of this type.
“And as for Belarus itself, this is just another example that (its president, Alexander) Lukashenko, has been making irresponsible and provocative decisions to cede control of the country’s sovereignty once morest the will of the Belarusian people,” added Blinken, according to CNN.
His words come following Putin has confirmed the deployment of a first battery of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus and has said that he does not want to resort to this type of weapon.something that he has described as “negative”, although he clarified that only they will be used in case of “threat to the integrity, independence, sovereignty and existence of the Russian state”.
“Nuclear weapons have been created to guarantee our security in the greatest sense, but talking regarding this already reduces the possibility that they will not be used”clarified before emphasizing that “this need does not exist.”
Last week, Putin announced the deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus starting July 7 as part of a petition by Lukashenko himself, who called for the “tactical” and “deterrent” presence of this type of arsenal, following “the example of United States and its allies.
What would happen if Putin used nuclear weapons?
President Putin’s warning by not ruling out a possible nuclear conflict keeps the alarms going.
For some experts, the possibility has a geopolitical and a legal framework. Regarding the first, it would be “inevitable that NATO as a group (…) have to defend, take some reprisals, no longer of an economic nature, but of a military nature, once morest Russia.”
This would make it necessary to bear in mind that “The United States has nuclear missiles in several NATO countries, so the response would be ‘devastating’ for Moscow”explains Enrique Prieto-Ríos, a professor at the Universidad del Rosario.
In the case of using, for example, “tactical weapons” their “range is wide (…),” therefore there would also be a breach of this point.
The US government reiterated that If Russian President Vladimir Putin followed through on his promise to escalate the conflict in eastern Europe to a nuclear confrontation, the consequences would be “catastrophic.”
“We have the ability to speak directly at a high level (with the Russians), to tell them clearly what our message is and to listen to theirs,” White House National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan told NBC.
*With information from AFP and Europa Press.
1686988405
#Russia #nuclear #weapons #Ukraine #Blinken #affirmed #United #States #defend #inch #NATO #territory
