“Global Village Today: Russia and Belarus Sign Agreement on Deployment of Nuclear Weapons, US and Chinese Commerce Ministers Meet to Express Concerns”

It is ‘Global Village Today’ that delivers major news from various countries around the world.

Host) What news do you have today?

Reporter) Russia and Belarus have signed an agreement on the deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus. US and Chinese commerce ministers met to express concerns about each other’s policies.

Host) Global Village Today, this is the first news. In March, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that he would deploy his own nuclear arsenal in Belarus. Are you putting this announcement into action?

Reporter) Yes. Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu and Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Hrenin signed an agreement in Minsk, the Belarusian capital, on the 25th that formalizes the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

Host) So, when will Russian nuclear weapons be moved to Belarus?

Reporter) Yes. The exact date of movement and deployment has not been released. By the way, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko told reporters in Moscow that nuclear weapons were already on the move under the agreement. However, it is unclear whether it has already arrived in Belarus.

Host) How many nuclear weapons are going into Belarus?

Reporter) Yes. Not sure about that either. The US government estimates that Russia has about 2,000 tactical nuclear weapons. This includes things that can be mounted on aircraft carriers, short-range missiles, and shells.

Moderator) Speaking of tactical nuclear weapons, the concept is a bit different from strategic nuclear weapons, right?

Reporter) Yes. Tactical nukes are used to destroy enemy forces or weapons on the battlefield. Strategic nuclear weapons, on the other hand, are usually mounted on long-range missiles and have the ability to destroy entire cities. Generally, tactical nuclear weapons are less powerful than strategic nuclear weapons. The range is short.

Moderator) Russia’s deployment of its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus is a measure with the Ukraine war in mind, right?

Reporter) That’s right. Russian and Belarusian officials say the move was fueled by hostility from the West. “The deployment of non-strategic nuclear weapons is an effective response to the aggressive policies of countries hostile to us,” said Defense Minister Hrenin of Belarus. Russian Defense Minister Shoigu explained, “The decision was made to take countermeasures in the military and nuclear fields at a time when tensions are escalating extremely rapidly on the Russian-Belarus western border.”

Host) Have Russian nuclear weapons been deployed in Belarus in the past?

Reporter) Yes. During the Cold War, Soviet nuclear weapons were deployed in Belarus, Kazakhstan, and Ukraine. However, after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, the United States intervened and transferred all nuclear weapons from these three countries to Russia.

Moderator) How did the outside world react to the news of the signing of this agreement?

Reporter) Yes. State Department spokesman Matthew Miller called the plan “the latest example of irresponsible behavior by Russia since its invasion of Ukraine.” At the same time, he reiterated previous US warnings that the use of chemical, biological or nuclear weapons in the Ukraine conflict would face serious consequences later.

Host) Belarus is playing a role as a faithful ally of Russia in this Ukrainian war, right?

Reporter) Yes. Originally, Belarus maintained close ties with Russia. Even during this war, we fully support Russia. So Russia is supporting not only the Belarusian economy but also the Belarusian army. “Iskander-M missiles capable of carrying conventional or nuclear warheads have been delivered to the Belarusian Army, and some SU-25 fighter-bombers have been modified to carry nuclear weapons,” said Russian Defense Minister Shoigu.

Host) In addition to the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons, the issue of providing US-made F-16 fighter jets to Ukraine in its fight against Russia is also of great interest. Did the US military leadership mention this?

Reporter) Yes. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Mark Milley held a press conference after meeting via video with the defense ministers of countries supporting Ukraine. At the meeting, Minister Austin said the allies are developing a program to train Ukrainian Air Force pilots to operate F-16 fighter jets.

Moderator) The United States has taken a passive stance regarding the F-16 fighter issue. Any changes recently?

Reporter) Yes. President Joe Biden, who attended the G7 summit, announced that European allies would allow Ukrainian pilots to train F-16 fighter jets. The United States has been hesitant to provide fighter jets as well as provide training. Eventually I changed my attitude.

Host) The Ukrainian government has been insisting that F-16 fighter jets are essential for battlefield superiority, right?

Reporter) Yes. It is said that the F-16 is a secret weapon that can drastically change the battlefield. However, the US military side explains that this is not necessarily the case. Milley, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, also emphasized at a press conference on the day (25th) that “there is no magic weapon.”

Host) Are you saying that the F-16 is not an all-powerful weapon like the Ukrainian government says?

Reporter) That’s right. Ostin stressed that air defense systems, not fighter jets, are the most needed weapon in the broader effort to defend Ukraine’s airspace. In addition to training, he said the allies are aware of the need for Ukraine to have sufficient supplies and the ability to maintain fighters.

US Secretary of Commerce Gina Raymondo (left) and China’s Commerce Minister Wang Wentao meet in Washington, DC on the 25th. (Official Twitter for Minister Raymondo)

Presenter) Global Village Today’s next news. The news that the US and Chinese ministers of commerce met in Washington, DC?

Reporter) Yes. Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao came to the United States to attend the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) trade ministers’ meeting. Prior to the meeting, Gina Raymondo met US Secretary of Commerce on the 25th. The U.S. Department of Commerce said the two men conveyed their concerns about pending issues between the two countries to the other side.

Moderator) What is the specific content of the concerns that the two people conveyed?

Reporter) Yes. First, the US Department of Commerce explained that Secretary Raymondo raised concerns about actions against US companies in China, and that the two ministers also discussed the trade and investment environment and potential areas of cooperation. On the other hand, Minister Wang conveyed key concerns about US semiconductors, exports and trade policy, China’s Ministry of Commerce explained.

Moderator) What is the Chinese side’s action that Minister Raymondo mentioned?

Reporter) Yes. Chinese public security recently raided the offices of Bain & Company, a management consulting firm, and Mintz Group, a due diligence company. On the other hand, the Chinese government has banned major domestic industries from buying semiconductors made by Micron, saying that the US semiconductor company Micron poses a threat to national security. Minister Raymondo took issue with these measures.

Moderator) Recently, the two countries are in sharp confrontation, especially over semiconductor technology, right?

Reporter) Yes. The US government has announced measures to strongly restrict the export of related technologies or semiconductors containing these technologies to China in the name of preventing the transfer of semiconductor-related cutting-edge technologies to the Chinese military. The Chinese government has warned that it will respond strongly to this measure, saying that it is trying to prevent China from developing advanced semiconductors. The recent ban on imports of Micron semiconductors is one of China’s announced hardline responses.

Moderator) Recently, there has been a movement between the US and its allies to reduce dependence on China in trade as well as to prevent the outflow of advanced technology to China?

Reporter) Yes. In response to China’s increasing influence in many parts of the world, there is talk of reducing the degree of dependence on China for the supply of raw materials and various manufactured goods. At the recent G7 summit in Japan, these efforts were expressed in the word ‘de-risk’.

Moderator) In addition to D-risk, the term ‘de-coupling’ has appeared frequently in Western countries’ policies toward China recently. What’s the difference in meaning?

Reporter) Yes. Decoupling means excluding China from the international supply chain. In other words, there is no dependence on China for material supply. Recently, several countries, including the United States, have often mentioned this decoupling. However, at this G7 summit, the keynote was slightly softened and the word “disk” was used.

Moderator) I wonder if there were any achievements at the meeting of the commerce ministers of the two countries?

Reporter) Yes. The US Commerce Department said there were constructive and substantive discussions. However, both sides said there was no progress on pending issues such as technology and security. Still, Raymondo and Wang explained that they had promised to intensify the exchange of views on trade issues. Meanwhile, it is known that Minister Wang will also meet with US Trade Representative Catherine Tai.

Moderator) Yes. I will listen until today, the global village.

Presenter) Global Village Today’s next news. The news that the US and Chinese ministers of commerce met in Washington, DC?