Russia Makes Nuclear Ultimatum to the U.S.

A Russian official has explained the circumstances in which Moscow would withdraw the tactical nuclear weapons it has deployed to Belarus.

In an interview with state news agency RIA Novosti, Alexei Polischuk, from the Russian foreign ministry, repeated Kremlin rhetoric that the weapons had been sent to Belarusian territory in response to the actions of the West.

The specter of nuclear weapons has hung over Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, although the U.S. has said there is no immediate indication the Kremlin plans to use such arms.

Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko, a Putin ally, boasted in June about how territory in his country was hosting weapons that would be housed in a storage facility built by Moscow, which has said it would retain control of the missiles.

But Polischuk told the Russian state news agency that the deployment of the weapons was "in response to the long-term destabilizing nuclear policy of NATO and Washington and the fundamental changes that have recently taken place in key areas of European security."

"This forced containment measure is designed to ensure the security of the Union State, which, as you know, has a common defense space," he said. The Union State is an economic and defense union between Minsk and Moscow.

He said that the "hypothetical withdrawal" of Russian tactical nuclear weapons from Belarus would "only be possible if the United States and NATO abandon their destructive course of purposefully undermining the security of Russia and Belarus."

"This implies the complete withdrawal of all U.S. nuclear weapons to US territory and the elimination of the corresponding infrastructure in Europe," added Polischuk, director of the foreign ministry's department of CIS (ex-Soviet) countries.

A U.S. State Department spokesperson told Newsweek it was continuing to monitor the Russia-Belarus arrangement to ensure Moscow maintains control of its weapons in the event of any deployment to Belarus and upholds its obligations under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.

"We will be paying close attention to any deviation. We have not seen any reason to adjust our own nuclear posture, nor any indication Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon," the statement said.

"Russia's rhetoric about nuclear weapons is reckless and irresponsible. It underscores Putin's hypocrisy and Russia's posture of strategic intimidation," it said. "For Belarus, this is yet another example of Lukashenko making irresponsible and provocative choices to cede ever more control over Belarus to the Kremlin, against the will of the Belarusian people."

Putin has said that the transfer of nuclear weapons to Belarus would be completed by the end of summer. Lukashenko told reporters in June his top officials had been tasked with "determining the algorithm for applying" the weapons.

However, experts have cast doubt on Lukashenko being able to use the weapons because it would be highly unlikely that he or his military would have access to their permissive action links (PAL), which prevents their unauthorized detonation.

Emma Claire Foley, associate partner for policy and research with the Global Zero movement, told Newsweek last month that Lukashenko's comments were part of his "bluster" to emphasize importance in the region.

However, she said the transfer of missiles with a 300-mile range close to the Lithuanian and Polish borders is "cause for regional concern" and "intensifies the regional situation regarding nuclear weapons in Europe."

Update 08/01/23, 3:40 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with a statement from the U.S. State Department.