Ukraine has demanded an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council over Vladimir Putin's plans to place tactical atomic weapons in Belarus, saying Minsk was being used "as a nuclear hostage".
In one of his most pronounced nuclear threats since the invasion of Ukraine, the Russian president said construction of facilities for the weapons would be completed by 1 July.
He said Russia was following the lead of the United States, which has nuclear weapons based in Europe and Turkey, and Britain, which is providing Ukraine with armour-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium.
But Nato yesterday criticised his "dangerous and irresponsible" rhetoric. "Russia's reference to Nato's nuclear sharing is totally misleading," a spokesperson said. "Nato allies act with full respect of their international commitments. Russia has consistently broken its arms control commitments, most recently suspending its participation in the New Start Treaty."
Bu hikaye The Independent dergisinin March 27, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
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Bu hikaye The Independent dergisinin March 27, 2023 sayısından alınmıştır.
Start your 7-day Magzter GOLD free trial to access thousands of curated premium stories, and 8,500+ magazines and newspapers.
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