Deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus viewed as step of strategic deterrence

“We see what is happening in the neighboring countries, especially in Poland, today. Up to 4% of GDP is spent there on defense to the detriment of the economy and the interests of ordinary citizens. An offensive grouping is being created. You can see it with the naked eye. In order to cool their heads, Belarus may, of course, take the same way and refocus the economy on military needs and start increasing and deploying its military forces to wartime strength, but it would impose a huge burden on the economy and on the wellbeing of its citizens. Why do we need to do it? People are used to living in comfort, in a civilized way. So one of the elements of, let us say, strategic deterrence in military terms is, of course, tactical nuclear weapons,” Aleksandr Volfovich said.

According to him, the West simply left Belarus with no other choice. “Although, with the withdrawal of nuclear weapons from Belarus in the 1990s, the West, primarily the United States, guaranteed security and no sanctions against Belarus,” the state secretary of the Security Council said. “Those promises have been violated today. That is why the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of the Republic of Belarus is one of the steps of strategic deterrence.”

“If there is any sense left in the heads of the politicians in the West, they will not cross this red line. Because even the use of tactical nuclear weapons would lead to irreversible consequences. Of course, this will be an extreme step. But it is a reasonable step to protect our country. We do not need what does not belong to us, but we will never give up our own,” Aleksandr Volfovich said.