{"id":11514,"date":"2022-12-23T11:33:26","date_gmt":"2022-12-23T08:33:26","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/api.pozirk.online\/longreads\/moscow-unwilling-to-deploy-nuclear-weapons-to-belarus\/"},"modified":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-24T20:29:13","slug":"moscow-unwilling-to-deploy-nuclear-weapons-to-belarus","status":"publish","type":"longreads","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11514\/","title":{"rendered":"Moscow unwilling to deploy nuclear weapons to Belarus"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n By Valeryj Karbalevi\u010d<\/span>\n<\/p>\n

\n Russian President Vladimir Putin\u2019s visit to Minsk fueled concerns about Belarus\u2019 possible direct involvement in Russian assaults on Ukraine and the two countries\u2019 full merger. But apocalyptic forecasts have not come true.<\/span><\/b>\n<\/p>\n

Putin\u2019s gesture<\/h2>\n

\n\t The December 19 visit came as a big surprise because it was Putin\u2019s first trip to Minsk since 2019. It was announced just a couple of days before the journey.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t There was no real urgency because the two leaders meet almost every month. Putin had invited Alaksandr \u0141uka\u0161enka to visit a cosmonaut training center in Russia. And the two leaders had planned to meet at an informal summit in Saint Petersburg in late December.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The visit was not timed to coincide with any international forum of the Commonwealth of Independent States or the Collective Security Treaty Organization. It was not a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State of Belarus and Russia. It was just a working visit.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Nevertheless, \u0141uka\u0161enka met Putin at the airport and accompanied him to the airport after the talks.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Putin led a big delegation of high-ranking officials, which also emphasized the importance of his visit.\n<\/p>\n

Gas, oil, loans<\/h2>\n

\n\t Although the two leaders discussed quite important matters, the visit was more about Putin\u2019s demonstration of appreciation for \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s commitment to his alliance with Russia. After all, Belarus was the only country to support Russia\u2019s invasion of Ukraine by providing its infrastructure and territory for attacks.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t It was not a surprise that Moscow has offered substantial economic assistance in return. It promised to supply Belarus with cheap natural gas. It had approved subsidies for Belarusian oil refineries, as well as loans that would have to be repaid in a distant future.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Political support is also important. Putin and his big team travelled to the capital of a small independent state in a show of respect for its ruler. In a way, that recognition of \u0141uka\u0161enka\u2019s authority over his territory might help assuage concerns about Russia\u2019s predominant influence.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t The two leaders did not seem to touch on any possibility of Belarus\u2019 annexation to Russia. Moscow appears to be happy with how Belarus cedes its sovereignty inch by inch, so it does not really need to rush things.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Nor did they discuss Belarus\u2019 full-scale participation in the Russian military campaign in Ukraine.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Therefore, the visit mostly carried political symbolism and was PR oriented.\n<\/p>\n

New threats<\/h2>\n

\n\t At the news conference after the talks, \u0141uka\u0161enka bragged about Belarus\u2019 military capabilities. \u201cWe have put today on combat alert duty the S-400 system, which you transferred to Belarus. And, most importantly, the Iskander system, which you promised half a year ago and have transferred to us.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n\t He played up a program to re-equip obsolete Belarusian warplanes for carrying what they called \u201cspecial\u201d ammunition. \u201cTogether with Russians we are training crews capable of operating these aircraft.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Two days later, Moscow said it did not plan to supply Belarus with nuclear-tipped missiles to be used by Belarus-based Su-25 attack aircraft and Iskander missile systems. Russia will not share technology for re-equipping the aircraft into nuclear weapons carriers and does not plan to build storage facilities for nuclear warheads in Belarus, said Mariya Zakharova, the Russian foreign ministry\u2019s spokesperson.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Further steps by Moscow and Minsk will depend on NATO\u2019s actions, she said, noting that the Russian president alone could authorize the use of nuclear ammunition with Belarus-based systems.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t A few months ago, during his visit to a mechanical plant in Minsk on August 26, \u0141uka\u0161enka said in an apparent reference to NATO that \u201cno helicopters or planes will save them if they escalate.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n\t He claimed that Russia had re-equipped Belarus\u2019 Sukhoi aircraft for delivering nuclear munitions. In an echo of Moscow\u2019s threats, he warned that the military command of Belarus identified \u201cdecision-making centers\u201d that \u201cwill be hit in the event of provocation.\u201d\n<\/p>\n

\n\t It should be noted that Moscow\u2019s threats met with tough response with Washington outlining in detail what it could do in the event of a nuclear strike. China and India also urged Russia to tone down its rhetoric.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t As far as a possible deployment of nuclear missiles is concerned, Moscow had a really bad experience withdrawing its nuclear weapons from Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan after the break-up of the Soviet Union. The leaders of these countries were reluctant to give up nuclear missiles, demanding compensation.\n<\/p>\n

\n\t Moscow seems to be aware of risks. It does not fully trust \u0141uka\u0161enka and prefers to store its ammunition at \u201ccentral storage facilities\u201d in Russia.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

By Valeryj Karbalevi\u010d Russian President Vladimir Putin\u2019s visit to Minsk fueled concerns about Belarus\u2019 possible direct involvement in Russian assaults on Ukraine and the two countries\u2019 full merger. But apocalyptic forecasts have not come true. Putin\u2019s gesture The December 19 visit came as a big surprise because it was Putin\u2019s first trip to Minsk since […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":75,"featured_media":0,"template":"","rubric":[22],"class_list":["post-11514","longreads","type-longreads","status-publish","hentry","rubric-theviewer"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nMoscow unwilling to deploy nuclear weapons to Belarus | Pozirk<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"By Valeryj Karbalevi\u010d Russian President Vladimir Putin\u2019s visit to Minsk fueled concerns about Belarus\u2019 possible direct involvement in Russian assaults on\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/longreads\/11514\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Moscow unwilling to deploy 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