MINSK. April 6 (Interfax) - State Secretary of the Belarusian Security Council Alexander Volfovich believes there will be no need to use the tactical nuclear weapons Belarus is planning to host.
"It does not matter how many [nuclear weapons are brought to Belarus]. The main thing is in what capacity, and how to use them correctly. And we know how to do it. Should they be used at all? [...] I do not think things will come to that. After all, the warheads and other tactical or strategic nuclear munitions primarily serve the purpose of deterrence, provision of the security of both Russia and Belarus," the Belarusian state-run news agency BelTA quoted Volfovich as telling journalists on Thursday.
As to when tactical nuclear weapons will be brought to Belarus, he said, "When the decision is made by our leaders - the Russian supreme commander-in-chief and the commander-in-chief of the Belarusian Armed Forces. The decision is for them to make."
Russian President Vladimir Putin said at the end of March he had agreed with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. According to him, Russia has handed over an Iskander missile system capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus.
"We will start training crews on April 3 and will finalize the construction of a special storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in the territory of Belarus on July 1. Everything the Belarusian president has asked for, every question raised by him in that connection is being addressed, and every agreement of ours will be fulfilled in the near future," Putin said.
"If that is necessary, Putin and I will agree on it, and we will bring strategic weapons here if that's what's needed. They [the West] should realize that [...] we will stop at nothing to protect our countries and our peoples," Lukashenko said on March 31.