Vladimir Putin activates part of his nuclear arsenal. Tactical nuclear weapons – that is, weapons that can be used on the battlefield at closer ranges – will be transferred to Belarus, the Kremlin chief announced this weekend.
The corresponding storage facilities in the neighboring country should be ready by July. Putin’s reason for the move: Britain’s supply of uranium munitions to Ukraine.
As always when Putin rattles the nuclear saber, concern grows in the West. But this time, the threat doesn’t really have much to do with Western states. The Russian president pursues a completely different goal. This is already apparent from the far-fetched statement about the uranium projectiles for Kiev.
Putin’s justification is feigned
Granted, Britain supplies depleted uranium munitions to Ukraine. However, contrary to what Russia has said, this has nothing to do with nuclear weapons.
According to US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby, uranium munitions are not radioactive and “not even close” to being classified as a nuclear weapon.
British Foreign Secretary James Cleverly said that the fact that the word “uranium” appears in the name of the munitions does not mean it is nuclear. It’s conventional ammunition. There can be no escalation.
On the contrary, uranium ammunition has a special penetrating ability against enemy tanks due to its extremely high density. Russia uses the ammunition itself.
However, the uranium bullets are controversial. According to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, the main health concern is not radioactivity, but the chemical toxicity of depleted uranium.
The deployment has long been planned
Belarus has been nuclear-weapon-free for 27 years. In 1996, the last Soviet-era supplies were transferred to Russia. Two years earlier, Russia had already promised to recognize the country’s borders – just like those of Ukraine, by the way.
Dictator Alexander Lukashenko long wanted to withdraw this status. As early as 2021, he was pushing for a constitutional amendment that would allow his country to harbor nuclear weapons. Shortly after the Russian invasion of Ukraine, he pushed through the change.
After Putin’s most recent announcement, what has been planned for a long time is now being implemented. This has less to do with military considerations – neither with regard to the West, nor to Ukraine.
If Putin wants to attack the latter with tactical nuclear weapons, he does not need Belarus as a base. And as for the West, Russia’s Kaliningrad exclave, which is further west than Belarus, has long had nuclear-powered missile systems — presumably nuclear weapons themselves — stationed there.
A step towards Soviet Union 2.0
Of course, Putin is happy to accept that the latest announcement from Moscow has alarmed the West. However, the Kremlin boss is concerned with something else with regard to the transfer of nuclear missiles to Belarus: namely, the complete subjugation of the neighboring country.
Putin is a man of symbolism. It was no coincidence that on March 25 of all days he announced the transfer of arms to Belarus – on this day Belarusians celebrate the “Day of Freedom” and commemorate the declaration of independence of the Democratic Republic of Belarus in 1918.
Belarusian opposition member Svetlana Tichanovskaya also points to this. She writes on Twitter: The announcement of this step on March 25 – the day of freedom – […] is no coincidence and underlines that Russia ignores the sovereignty of Belarus.
Putin is monopolizing this day to tie the Lukashenko-ruled country a lot closer to his own empire. At the end of this colonialist plan is the complete incorporation of the neighboring country into Putin’s empire. The question is probably no longer if, but only when this last step will be taken.
After Xi Jinping’s humiliation, a show of strength is needed
The fact that Putin, in turn, was demoted to vassal a few days ago by Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to Moscow, may also have played a role.
With his trip to Russia, Xi clearly showed which side China is on in the war in Ukraine. But it also became clear that Russia is nowhere near on an equal footing with China. This is evidenced by the fact that Xi did not invite his Russian counterpart to Beijing for a state visit, but only as a participant in a Silk Road conference.
Xi dictates the rules, Putin follows. After all, Lukashenko can still give orders. An important tool for Putin to distract from his own weakness.
The winter offensive is buzzing
Russia shows weakness not only on the international political scene, but also on the war front. The feared winter offensive seems to have passed its peak without major territorial gains.
The British Ministry of Defense states: “Russia’s attack on the Donbass town of Bakhmut has largely stalled.” This is probably mainly due to the extreme wear and tear of the Russian armed forces. However, Ukraine also suffered heavy losses.
Added to this are the rifts between the army and the Wagner mercenary group. The private army in the service of Russia recently held out the prospect of at least a partial withdrawal from Ukraine.
According to the Ministry of Defense in London, Russia should now mainly concentrate on the defense of the conquered territories. The grip on Belarus and the constant maintenance of the nuclear threat is intended to distract from this renewed setback in Ukraine. (aargauerzeitung.ch)
Soource :Watson
I am Amelia James, a passionate journalist with a deep-rooted interest in current affairs. I have more than five years of experience in the media industry, working both as an author and editor for 24 Instant News. My main focus lies in international news, particularly regional conflicts and political issues around the world.
