Belarus has stated that by agreeing to deploy Russian tactical nuclear weapons on its territory, it allegedly took “forced retaliatory actions” to strengthen its security and defence capabilities and was not violating the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT).

“Military cooperation between Belarus and Russia is carried out in strict accordance with international law.

The training of Belarusian pilots capable of flying aircraft with specific munitions, the modernisation of such aircraft, as well as the deployment of nuclear warheads on the territory of Belarus without transferring control over them to Minsk, as well as access to relevant technologies, in no way contradict the provisions of Articles I and II of the NPT”, - reads the statement of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Belarus.

The agency also added that this allegedly “is not an innovation in the field of military cooperation between non-nuclear and nuclear states”.