White House spokesperson John Kirby said that the United States had not yet seen any evidence of Russian nuclear weapons being deployed in Belarus, a point he made during a briefing. He emphasized that monitoring and reporting would continue as events developed.
He noted that the tone of Russian discourse around nuclear weapons since the start of the Ukraine conflict has often been reckless and irresponsible, contributing to a climate of heightened tension and misperception about real military moves on the ground.
On July 1, 2023, Vladimir Putin announced the planned completion of a storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, drawing international attention to the arrangement. President Putin reiterated that Russia had not transferred nuclear weapons to Belarus, while contrasting this with what he described as long-standing American deployments in Europe, suggesting that Washington may be more involved in similar capabilities and training across the continent.
Putin also recalled that the Belarusian president has previously raised the possibility of deploying Russian tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil. The purpose of the meeting with Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenka, according to the Russian president, included addressing a recent comment by a British defense official about possible supplies of depleted uranium to Ukraine, which Putin framed as part of a broader geopolitical discussion about the conflict and arms supplies. The exchange underscores the ongoing intensity of public statements about nuclear security and arms movements in the region, with leaders framing the issue in terms of deterrence, alliance commitments, and regional stability.