DISINFO: Russian nuclear weapons deployment to Belarus is response to Western aggressive policy
SUMMARY
The deployment of Russian nuclear weapons on the territory of the Republic of Belarus is an adequate and restrained response of the Union State to the aggressive policy of the West.
The reckless geographic and functional swelling in Eastern Europe of the NATO military bloc subordinate to Washington is naturally transforming into a threat of physical destruction of the alliance and the United States itself.
RESPONSE
The claim is false. The West is not interested in an escalation of the ongoing war in Ukraine. No neighbouring countries are preparing to attack Belarus. Poland and the Baltic States adhere to international law regarding state borders and have no territorial claims upon Belarus or others. No neighbouring state, except the Russian Federation, violated its neighbour's (Ukraine’s) territorial integrity.
With the ongoing Russian aggressive war against Ukraine, European countries are forced to strengthen their borders, increase the defense capability of their armies, in order to resist any external aggression.
Framing the decision to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus as a “response to NATO expansionism” is a prefabricated argument to justify Russia’s nuclear warmongering, part of a wider disinformation campaign aiming to coerce Western nations to cease aid to Ukraine for its self-defence against Russian aggression. Although Vladimir Putin stated on 25 March 2023 that Russia will station nuclear weapons on Belarusian facilities whose construction will be ready by 1 July -an allegation repeated afterwards by other Russian and Belarusian officials-, experts are very sceptic about the feasibility of this move, as there is no indication of any step taken in this regard.
See other examples of similar disinformation narratives in our database, such as claims that NATO destroyed trust in the new START treaty, that Western leaders’ nuclear rhetoric is becoming increasingly ferocious, that Ukraine asked NATO for preemptive nuclear strikes against Russia, or that Russia doesn’t threaten anyone with nuclear weapons.