By Dmitry Antonov and Guy Faulconbridge
MOSCOW (Reuters) – Russia will not deploy nuclear weapons abroad except in its ally Belarus but will find ways to counter any deployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons in Britain, the deputy minister in charge of arms control said on Thursday.
President Vladimir Putin said last year that Moscow had transferred some tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, blaming what he casts as a hostile and aggressive West for the decision.
Top nuclear researchers at the Federation of American Scientists say there is no conclusive evidence to show where the weapons are in Belarus, or even if they are there at all.
Asked by reporters if Russia would deploy nuclear weapons beyond Belarus, for example in South America, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said: “No, it is not planned.”
“The deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus was carried out to counter the increasingly aggressive and threatening activities of the North Atlantic Alliance (NATO) led by the United States.”
Ryabkov, who oversees arms control, also scolded the United States for including what he said were openly declared “nuclear free” European countries in NATO nuclear missions. He did not elaborate.
Separately, Ryabkov told Russia Today in an interview that U.S. plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Britain would not deter Moscow.
“If they believe that re-introduction of nuclear weapons in the UK is a deterrent to Russia, then they are mistaken,” Ryabkov said. “We urge them to stop… this endless circle of escalation.”
Neither Britain nor the United States have confirmed reports of the planned deployment of tactical nuclear weapons. Researchers say RAF Lakenheath, an air force base in Suffolk, eastern England, is being refurbished to store the U.S. weapons.
Currently, five NATO countries – Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey – host a total of around 100 U.S. tactical nuclear weapons at six bases, according to the Federation of American Scientists.
‘OPEN TO DIALOGUE’
Putin, who sent tens of thousands of troops into Ukraine two years ago this month, often reminds the West of the size and capabilities of Russia’s own nuclear arsenal, the world’s largest.
Ryabkov praised what he said were ideas on how to end the Ukraine conflict proposed by members of the BRICS grouping.
“… we are open to dialogue with all those who are determined to promote a constructive solution. And in this context, of course, we continue to discuss this topic with our BRICS partners,” he said.
The BRICS grouping comprises Russia, China, India, Brazil and South Africa, and is set to expand further.
Kyiv is pressing its own “peace formula” which among other things envisages the departure of all Russian troops from its territory, while Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskiy has decreed that any talks with Russia are illegal.
Russia, which controls just under a fifth of Ukrainian territory, has dismissed Zelenskiy’s plan as absurd as it ignores Moscow’s own security interests, a stance reaffirmed by Ryabkov on Thursday.
(Writing by Guy Faulconbridge; Editing by Gareth Jones)
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