Belarusian dictator Alexander Lukashenko sparked concern on Thursday by announcing that Russia had begun moving tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus. Stating that storage facilities for the weapons were now operational, Lukashenko was asked by a journalist whether any weapons had already arrived in Belarus. He responded in a typically eccentric fashion, “Maybe. I will go and take a look.”
There is little to worry about here. For a start, Putin may well be sending these weapons to Belarus simply to make a public show to Lukashenko, the Kremlin, and those around Lukashenko that Putin has ultimate power over him. Lukashenko has been reluctant to fully engage with Putin’s desire to create a unified state and has notably avoided direct engagement in the war in Ukraine.
