The promise was made when Putin received Belarus’ leader Alexander Lukashenko in St. Petersburg on Saturday.
“In the coming months, we will transfer to Belarus tactical missile systems of the type Iskander-M, which can use ballistic missiles and cruise missiles, in conventional and nuclear versions,” Putin said in statements broadcast on Russian television on Saturday.
The president also offered to upgrade Belarus’ fighter jets so that they could be equipped with nuclear weapons. However, Putin did not say that Russia should deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus.
Putin has spoken of nuclear weapons several times since the invasion of Ukraine on February 24, which in the West has been perceived as warnings not to intervene in the war.
Attack from Belarus
Experts have interpreted Putin’s previous statements about nuclear weapons as saber-rattling and pointed out that it is very unlikely that Russia will use such weapons in Ukraine.
Mr Lukashenko has publicly supported Russia’s war in neighboring Ukraine. Belarus claims to be outside the war in Ukraine, even though Russian invasion forces gained free access across the border early in the war.
Last Saturday, the Ukrainian army claimed that the Chernihiv region in northern Ukraine was subjected to a massive rocket attack from Belarus.
Constitutional amendment
This winter, Belarus held a referendum in which the result was a majority in a constitutional amendment that allows the country to have nuclear weapons.
The EU fears that the constitutional amendment could lead to Belarus having nuclear weapons on its territory for the first time after the country handed over its nuclear weapons to Russia after the fall of the Soviet Union.
Mr Lukashenko said in May that Belarus had bought Iskander missiles and the S-400 missile defense system from Russia. He also emphasized this spring that he believes it would be “unacceptable” to use nuclear weapons.
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