MOSCOW: The tactical nuclear weapon drills that Russia and Belarus are conducting do not violate the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuc...
MOSCOW: The tactical nuclear weapon drills that Russia and Belarus are conducting do not violate the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT) as compared to exercises held by NATO member states, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergey Ryabkov said on Wednesday.
"We and Belarus are integral parts of the Union State and, therefore, we have a common perimeter of military security provision. Secondly, we have protocols and practices in this sphere differing from NATO’s. Therefore, specifically training measures involving the non-strategic nuclear weapon component do not violate the Non-Proliferation Treaty compared to [NATO’s] nuclear sharing joint missions that are, incidentally, in the spotlight again because zealous Atlanticists, especially in Eastern Europe would like their countries to join that program," the senior Russian diplomat said, replying to a corresponding question.
Russia’s Defense Ministry reported on May 6 that pursuant to an instruction by President Vladimir Putin and for the purpose of raising the preparedness of the non-strategic nuclear forces for combat objectives, the General Staff had launched preparations for drills in the immediate future with missile formations of the Southern Military District with the involvement of aircraft and naval forces.
The head of state stressed that the tactical nuclear weapon exercise was planned work that had nothing unusual. He further said that the drills would run in three stages and Belarus would join Russia at the second stage because non-strategic nuclear weapons were stored on Belarusian soil.
Nuclear sharing is a NATO program that envisages placing and keeping the US nuclear arsenal in Europe. It stipulates that member countries without nuclear weapons can place such weapons on their soil and participate in related drills.
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