Kiev demonstratively unimpressed by Putin’s nuclear transfer – the nightly update without photos

Sharp criticism of Putin from Germany

The stationing of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus, announced by the Kremlin, was met with clear criticism, especially in Germany. At the Foreign Ministry in Berlin on Saturday evening there was talk of a “further attempt at nuclear intimidation”. The Ukrainian government was demonstratively unimpressed by the announcement from Moscow. Shortly before that, President Vladimir Putin had announced an armaments program there that would be superior to Western arms supplies to Ukraine.

The current developments in the live ticker:

Putin announced on state television that evening that Russia and Belarus – both of which border Ukraine – had agreed to station tactical nuclear weapons. Tactical nuclear weapons have a shorter range compared to ICBMs – which could also hit the US – but it’s still several hundred miles.

The Kremlin chief pointed out that the United States also stationed nuclear weapons with allies in Europe. “We’re just doing what they’ve been doing for decades,” Putin said. In the past, he had called for the withdrawal of nuclear weapons from Germany because they threatened Russia’s security.

The German Foreign Ministry did not want to stop there: “President Putin’s comparison with NATO’s nuclear participation is misleading and cannot justify the step announced by Russia,” said Berlin. In addition, Belarus has made several statements internationally that it will be free of nuclear weapons. Belarusian permanent ruler Alexander Lukashenko – often referred to as “Europe’s last dictator” – is one of Moscow’s closest allies.

Putin: No Violation of the Nuclear Weapons Treaty

Putin stressed that Russia’s agreement with Belarus does not violate the international treaty on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. The nuclear weapons would also not be left to Belarus, but only kept there. Weapons training begins on April 3. The shafts for the Iskander missiles, which can be fitted with nuclear warheads, are expected to be delivered on July 1. Russia recently helped Belarus convert aircraft, 10 of which are now equipped to also shoot down tactical nuclear weapons, Putin said.

Anti-nuclear campaign warns of catastrophe

From the point of view of the Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), the Russian approach could lead to catastrophe. Putin’s plan is an “extremely dangerous escalation,” the Nobel Prize-winning organization in Geneva warned. This increases the likelihood that such weapons will also be used. “In the context of the war in Ukraine, the risk of misjudgment or misinterpretation is extremely high.”

The organization recalled that the Nuclear Weapons Prohibition Treaty (TPNW) prohibits states from allowing foreign nuclear weapons on their territory. The agreement adopted in 2017 has so far been signed by 92 countries. However, Russia and Belarus are not included, nor are states with US nuclear weapons bases – including Germany, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey.

Putin announces 1,600 tanks for war against Ukraine

In his television appearance, Putin also announced that he would expand his own tank production for Western tank deliveries to Ukraine. “The total number of tanks in the Russian army will exceed that of the Ukrainian army three times, even more than three times,” he said. While Ukraine will receive 420 to 440 tanks from the west, Russia will build 1,600 new tanks or modernize existing ones.

Ex-president Dmitry Medvedev had already announced the production of 1,500 tanks this week. Putin also said Russia could produce three times as much ammunition as Western Ukraine wants to supply. The national arms industry is developing at a rapid pace. However, he did not want to overly militarize his own economy, the Kremlin chief claimed.

Zelenskyj calls the Russian defeat a guarantee against new aggression

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky described a “complete defeat of Russia” in the war as the best “guarantee against new aggressions and crises”. In his video address on Saturday, he pointed out that Ukraine has received further aid from Germany and other countries in recent days and would spend at least 500 million euros on the purchase of drones for the military by the end of the year.

In an interview published Saturday in Japan’s Yomiuri Shimbun daily, Zelenskyi tempered expectations of an imminent Ukrainian counter-offensive. This cannot start yet because Kiev does not have enough weapons and ammunition for it.

IAEA chief visits Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in Ukraine

The head of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Rafael Grossi, plans to visit the Zaporizhia nuclear power plant in southern Ukraine, occupied by Russian troops, next week. He decided to visit the nuclear power plant again “to see with his own eyes how the situation has developed since September,” Grossi said in Vienna on Saturday. He also wanted to “talk to those operating the plant under unprecedented and very difficult conditions”. Despite the presence of IAEA experts at the nuclear power plant, the situation is delicate.

What will be important on Sunday

The fighting in eastern Ukraine continues unabated. In particular, the cities of Bakhmut, Avdiivka and Wuhledar are still considered heavily contested. In addition, further reactions to the announced stationing of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus can be expected. (sda/dpa)