Lithuania to the UN representative: Russia’s nukes in Belarus is a violation of Non-proliferation treaty and Budapest memorandum

By deploying nuclear weapons in Belarus, Russia and Belarus violated the international Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. Such actions are also a violation by Russia of the Budapest Memorandum in relation to Belarus itself. The UN Security Council must remain focused on this issue. This was stated by the Permanent Representatives of the Republic of Lithuania to the United Nations Rytis Paulauskas in a comment for the Guildhall news agency.

"On 25 May, Defense ministers of Russia and Belarus signed documents defining the procedure for deploying Russia’s "non-strategic nuclear weapons" in a special storage facility on the territory of Belarus. The deployment of any kind of nuclear weapons in Belarus goes against Russia’s and Belarus’ international commitments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty. In particular, after blatantly violating the 1994 Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances to Ukraine, Russia would also be in breach of the similar Memorandum on Security Assurances in connection with Belarus. The Budapest Memorandum committed Belarus to eliminate all nuclear weapons from its territory. It also committed Russia to respect a non-nuclear Belarus", Lithuania to UN representative said.

"By accepting the deployment of Russia’s nuclear weapons Belarus is getting integrated ever more closely into Russia’s military plans. Putin and Lukashenka are escalating further. Their nuclear rhetoric and actions are dangerous and irresponsible. The Security Council and the other relevant international bodies should remain focused on this issue. We continue our consultations with the our strategic partners", concluded Rytis Paulauskas.

On May 25 the Defense ministers of Russia and Belarus signed documents on the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory.

On June 13, the self-proclaimed President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said that he personally asked Vladimir Putin to "return nuclear weapons to Minsk" and that he is ready to use them "without hesitation in the case of aggression against Belarus", which indicates the actual transfer of nuclear weapons to the operational control of Belarus.

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