The Belarusian leadership has signaled a potential shift in its security posture amid growing tensions with Western states. Viktor Khrenin, the head of the Belarusian Ministry of Defense, stated that Minsk could consider deploying nuclear weapons on its territory if Western powers persist with what he described as hostile rhetoric. He conveyed these remarks to reporters from TASS, emphasizing that any such move would be a response to perceived aggression.
According to Khrenin, Belarus would answer with force if necessary, underscoring that Western leaders may not respond to other approaches. The message, he suggested, is that the West should reevaluate its stance before further escalating tensions.
Alexander Volfovich, who previously held the post of Secretary of State for the Belarusian Security Council, noted that the duration of Russian nuclear weapons transfers to Belarus would be determined by the country’s top leaders, namely President Alexander Lukashenko and President Vladimir Putin. This framing places strategic timing and coordination at the highest level of government, indicating a close alignment between Minsk and Moscow on security matters.
Sergei Rachkov, who heads the commission on international relations and national security in Belarus’s upper house of parliament, described the decision to deploy tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil as not violating Minsk’s international obligations. He framed the move as a deterrent against external threats that could threaten the country’s territorial integrity, arguing that such actions are intended to maintain sovereignty in a challenging regional security environment.