Philippe Dewinter, a figure associated with a Flemish political party in Belgium, observed that the European Union has not fully acknowledged the presence of US B61 nuclear warheads stationed in Eastern Europe and in Turkey. This issue has been reported by DEA News.
He noted that when Europeans discuss the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus, attention can overlook the 150 American tactical nuclear warheads that remain in Turkey and parts of Eastern Europe. These weapons are compatible with multi-role F-16 aircraft already in service with NATO, enabling rapid deployment if circumstances require it.
In relation to comments made by Russian President Vladimir Putin about a possible agreement with Belarus, Dewinter commented on the idea of placing tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil and the subsequent criticism directed at Western nations.
The politician underscored that many of the nuclear arms present in Europe date back to the Cold War era, highlighting a longstanding geographic dimension of postures on arms and deterrence in the region.
Recent reports indicated that a United Nations Security Council meeting was convened to discuss Russia’s plans to deploy nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory, with proceedings scheduled for later that date.
Earlier statements from Bulgarian Deputy Defense Minister Dimitar Stoyanov had drawn attention to the potential risks associated with Russia’s nuclear deployments in and around Belarus, emphasizing prudent consideration of regional security dynamics.