Putin says Russia will station tactical nukes in Belarus: NPR

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Russian Transport Minister Vitaly Savelyev on Saturday during a meeting in Moscow.

Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik, Kremlin swimming pool photo via AP

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Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik, Kremlin swimming pool photo via AP

Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to Russian Transport Minister Vitaly Savelyev on Saturday during a meeting in Moscow.

Gavriil Grigorov/Sputnik, Kremlin swimming pool photo via AP

Russian President Vladimir Putin on Saturday announced plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus.

Putin said the plan was in response to Britain’s decision last week to supply Ukraine with armour-piercing shells containing depleted uranium. Russia falsely claimed that these shells had nuclear components.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has long asked for arms, Putin said in an interview on Russian state television.

He said the construction of storage facilities for weapons in Belarus would be completed by July 1.

Russia has used the territory of Belarus as a staging ground to send troops to Ukraine, and Moscow and Minsk have maintained close military ties.