Lithuania’s envoy to UN: Russian nukes in Belarus breach SMART, Budapest Memo

That’s according to Ritis Paulauskas, Lithuania’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ukrinform reports citing Guildhall.

“On 25 May, Defense ministers of Russia and Belarus signed documents defining the procedure for deploying Russia’s ‘non-strategic nuclear weapons’ in a special storage facility on the territory of Belarus. The deployment of any kind of nuclear weapons in Belarus goes against Russia’s and Belarus’ international commitments under the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty,” the envoy said.

“In particular, after blatantly violating the 1994 Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances to Ukraine, Russia would also be in breach of the similar Memorandum on Security Assurances in connection with Belarus. The Budapest Memorandum committed Belarus to eliminate all nuclear weapons from its territory. It also committed Russia to respect a non-nuclear Belarus,” he added.

Paulauskas noted that, by accepting the deployment of Russia’s nuclear weapons, “Belarus is getting integrated ever more closely into Russia’s military plans.”

“Putin and Lukashenka are escalating further. Their nuclear rhetoric and actions are dangerous and irresponsible. The Security Council and the other relevant international bodies should remain focused on this issue. We continue our consultations with our strategic partners,” the diplomat stressed.

As Ukrinform reported earlier, on May 25, the Russian and Belarusian defense ministers signed off an agreement on the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian soil. On the same day, Lukashenko announced that Russia had already begun to transfer its nuclear weapons to Belarus.

Last week, at a meeting with Lukashenko in Sochi, Putin said that tactical nuclear weapons would be delivered to Belarus after July 7-8.