Putin's Nuclear Weapons Strategy Draws Criticism and Concern from NATO and Ukraine.

NATO has criticized Russian President Vladimir Putin for his "dangerous and irresponsible" nuclear rhetoric after he announced that Russia would station tactical nuclear arms in Belarus. Experts believe that any Russian strike would likely involve small-size battlefield weapons, described as "tactical", as opposed to "strategic" high-powered long-range nuclear weapons. Ukraine has called for an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council to counter Russia's "nuclear blackmail". Putin said the move to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus was "nothing unusual".