President of Russia Vladimir Putin announced last Saturday that Moscow was going to deploy nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil, prompting (new) alarm in the West and Ukraine.

tactical nuclear weapons differ from strategically nuclear weapons, in the sense that they have less power and a shorter range. In other words, they can’t wipe out entire cities, but that doesn’t mean they can’t cause massive destruction.

According to the statement of the Russian side, Moscow and Minsk have concluded an agreement paving the way for sending Russian tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus. The timing of this mission has not yet been fully clarified. It is reported that preparations for the deployment of these weapons should begin next month, and the proposed facilities will be ready by early July next year. However, the presence of suitable facilities does not automatically mean that Russia will send tactical nuclear weapons there.

NATO, the European Union and many Western countries were quick to issue statements condemning Russia’s plans to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus.

Vladimir Putin, for his part, argues that Moscow has the right to send conventional nuclear bombs to Belarus because the Americans also have conventional nuclear bombs in six NATO countries. The Russian leader also argues that Moscow is not violating its nuclear non-proliferation obligations because it will retain control over these weapons. Trying to justify the move, he argues that the decision was made after the announcement that the US and UK were going to send depleted uranium anti-tank missiles to Ukraine.

US officials downplay the possibility that Russia’s stockpile of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus could influence the war in Ukraine. After all, Ukraine is already within reach of the Kremlin’s nuclear arsenal.

However, Russia’s statement can also be read as a message to the West and Western public opinion, the ultimate goal of which is to limit Western aid to Kyiv.

As for the war in Ukraine, a negotiated settlement does not seem likely or feasible at the moment, and the meeting between Vladimir Putin and Xi Jinping last week in Moscow brought little news that could bring a ceasefire and peace closer.

Russia has a habit of putting the nuclear threat card back on the table every time Russian forces aren’t doing well on the Ukraine issue, Eurasia Network Gzero reports in its analysis. Putin is said to have considered using tactical nuclear weapons last fall, but ultimately decided against it. However, the very fact that the nuclear threat remains relevant is inherently worrying for everyone.

According to Gzero