"NATO Condemns Putin's Deployment of Tactical Nuclear Weapons in Belarus"
NATO criticized Putin's announcement that Russia would store tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, calling his rhetoric "dangerous and irresponsible." Putin insisted that the move would not violate nonproliferation agreements and compared it to the US stationing weapons in Europe. Ukraine accused Putin of making Belarus a "nuclear hostage." Belarus, Ukraine, and Kazakhstan had nuclear weapons stationed on their territory but handed them over to Russia after the collapse of the Soviet Union. This could be the first time since then that Russia has based such weapons outside the country.