Russia signs nuclear arms deal with neighbor Belarus

Russia signs nuclear arms deal with neighbor Belarus --The agreement stipulates the deployment of non-strategic weapons to Belarus in response to increased NATO activity | 25 May 2023 | Moscow and Minsk have sealed an agreement on the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. Explaining the need for the move, Russian Defense Minister Sergey Shoigu cited a recent increase in the number of NATO maneuvers involving weapons of mass destruction. Shoigu and his Belarusian counterpart, Viktor Khrenin, on Thursday signed documents stipulating the terms of the deployment and storage of the Russian weapons. The Russian minister emphasized that the move had come in response to the "acute escalation of threats and activities by NATO joint nuclear missions." He noted that the agreement involves "non-strategic nuclear weapons" and is in accordance with "all international legal obligations currently in force."