Belarusian President Says There Is Threat of Global Nuclear War Real, Negotiations Needed
The detonation of a 23-kiloton nuclear bomb XX-34 BADGER as part of the Operation Upshot-Knothole nuclear testing programme at the Nevada Test Site in April 1953.
InternationalIndiaAfricaMINSK (Sputnik) – Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, on Friday, weighed in on the danger of a possible global nuclear war, cautioning that the threat is real, and added that negotiations without preconditions are needed.
"Today is a unique, special moment that will never happen. Neither in the history of Russia, Belarus and Ukraine, nor in world history, especially Europe's. The only question is what to do. You all understand and know that there is only one way – negotiations. Negotiations without preconditions," Lukashenko said in his address to Belarusian people and lawmakers, and proposed to declare a ceasefire without movement of military equipment from both sides.
The Belarusian leader also stressed that the threat of World War Three with the use of nuclear force is real.However, Lukashenko mentioned that he had intensified negotiations with Russian President Vladimir Putin in order to return nuclear weapons to Belarus.
"Under the current circumstances and the military-political situation around our country, I intensified negotiations with Russian President [Vladimir] Putin on the return of nuclear weapons to Belarus. It was namely on the return of nuclear weapons that were pulled out in the 90s," Lukashenko said in his address to Belarusian people and lawmakers.
The president mentioned that he did not want to take nuclear weapons out of Belarus in the 1990s, but he was pressured by the West and the former leadership of Russia.The reason behind this move is the fact that the West is ready to invade Belarus in order to destroy the country.”The formation of certain regiments … for the subsequent coup in Belarus. The time will come – we will show it to thou, .. they [the West] are preparing to invade the territory of Belarus to destroy our country,” Lukashenko stressed.The president also called on the West to admit that they failed in organizing a revolution in Belarus and offered to start rebuilding relations.
Sputnik ExplainsWhy Does Belarus Support Russia?28 March, 14:00 GMTMoreover, Lukashenko warned against an alleged Ukrainian counteroffensive. He claims that it will make any peace talks between Kiev and Moscow impossible and will lead to another escalation.”Unfortunately, now, as you hear, there is a lot of talk about the counteroffensive of the Ukrainian armed forces. In my opinion, this is extremely dangerous, this is the worst thing that is possible in the current conditions, because it can cross out all hopes for the negotiation process and lead to an irreversible escalation of the conflict,” Belarusian President stated. On March 25, Vladimir Putin said that Moscow and Minsk had agreed to station Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. He stressed that this move does not breach Russia’s commitments to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons. Russia is not handing nukes to allied state, but simply stationing its tactical nuclear weapons on its territory. Head of state noted that US have been practicing this for decades.
