Russia will deliver “in the coming months” to Belarus missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, Vladimir Putin announced on Saturday when he received Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, in the midst of tensions between their countries and the West around Ukraine.
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"In the coming months, we will transfer to Belarus Iskander-M tactical missile systems, which can use ballistic or cruise missiles, in their conventional and nuclear versions," Putin said at the start of his meeting with Mr. . Lukashenko in St. Petersburg broadcast by Russian television.
In statements that risk further straining relations between Moscow and Western countries, the two leaders also indicated that they wanted to modernize Belarusian aviation to make it capable of carrying nuclear weapons.
“Many Su-25 (aircraft) are in service with the Belarusian army. They could be improved appropriately. This modernization must be carried out in aircraft factories in Russia and the training of personnel should begin accordingly,” Mr. Putin said, after Mr. Lukashenko had asked him to “adapt” his aircraft capable of transporting nuclear weapons.
"We will agree on how to accomplish this," Putin added.
This exchange comes at a time when Russia and its ally Belarus have been in open crisis with Western countries since Moscow launched, with diplomatic and logistical support from Minsk, a military offensive against Ukraine.
Since the beginning of the offensive, Mr. Putin has several times addressed, more or less directly, the subject of Russian nuclear armament, Western countries seeing in it threats aimed at dissuading them from supporting Kyiv.
Belarus, bordering Ukraine and several NATO member countries, had already announced last month that it had purchased Iskander systems, capable of carrying nuclear warheads.
During their meeting on Saturday, Mr. Putin and Lukashenko also discussed the situation in the fertilizer market. Russia and Belarus are among the world's top producers, but say Western sanctions against them in connection with Ukraine have affected their export capacities, amid growing concern over global food security.
With Mr. Lukashenko, "we agreed to do everything possible to satisfy the needs of our consumers and our customers" in terms of fertilizers, Mr. Putin said on Saturday, adding that Moscow was "in close contact with the agencies specialized United Nations" on this issue.
