Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said Thursday that Russia had begun moving nuclear weapons to its territory, which borders the European Union, ratcheting up tensions with the West over the Ukraine conflict.
On the diplomatic front, Russia’s foreign ministry announced a visit to Moscow by China’s special envoy for Ukraine, Li Hui — Beijing’s latest effort to broker an end to the fighting.
Li’s visit to the Russian capital, where he is expected to meet foreign minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday, comes after he met with Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky in Kyiv.
“The transfer of nuclear munitions has begun,” Lukashenko told reporters during a visit to Moscow to meet with President Vladimir Putin.
In Washington, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre called Russia’s move “yet another example of making irresponsible and provocative choices”.
She added, however, that “we have not seen any reason to adjust our own nuclear posture… nor any indication that Russia is prepared to use nuclear weapons from Belarus”.বিস্তারিত