BELARUS NEWS AND ANALYSIS

DATE:

18/10/2007

Lukashenko "would consider" return of nuclear weapons to Belarus

Belarusian President Aleksander Lukashenko on Thursday declared his government "willing to consider" a return of nuclear weapons to the country, and hinted a US plan to deploy missiles to Central Europe might well serve as a catalyst.

The former collective farm boss made the comments to a group of Japanese journalists visiting the Belarusian capital Minsk.

"I would be willing consider bringing back nuclear weapons," Lukashenko said.

Asked about his attitude towards a Washington proposal to base anti-missile missiles in East Europe, Lukashenko responded "Belarus would react extremely negatively."

Lukashenko's remarks were the broadest hint yet that Lukashenko, an authoritarian leader pilloried in the West, intended to react strongly if the US went through with its plan, which foresees placement of a missile intercept system with elements in Poland and the Czech Republic.

US officials have said the idea is intended to defend America against a nuclear-tipped missile from Iran.

Lukashenko has called the project destabilising to regional peace, as the system allegedly could be used to intercept Russian missiles aimed at the US, and so give Washington the ability to fire nuclear missiles at Russia with impunity.

Russian President Vladimir Putin has been among the leading critics of the US-initiative, on Wednesday saying the Kremlin "would make an adequate response" were the US to put the anti-missile system in place, according to an Interfax news agency report.

Lukashenko's Thursday remarks, coming a day after Putin's, underlined an early October declaration by the Belarusian leader that "in this (policy regarding the US anti-missile initiative) Belarus stands shoulder-to-shoulder with Russia."

Belarus voluntarily rejected owning nuclear weapons shortly after the Soviet Union broke up, with the last device being transferred to Russia in 1994.

A redeployment of nuclear devices would be problematic for NATO, which has configured its forces for close to two decades with the assumption that no potential nuclear threat exists to the alliance any closer than Russia. dpa sbk sc

Source:

http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/241065/Lukashenko_would_consider_return_of_nuclear_weapons_to_Belarus