Who will control nuclear weapons in Belarus?

"Everything in the territory of Belarus will be controlled by the President of Belarus. At the same time, we have no ambitions to get TNW as a property," Shpakovsky said of the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in the country.

"The military doctrine of the Union State implies the use of the entire complex of forces and means, the entire available military arsenal of the Russian Federation to ensure the defense of the Republic of Belarus in case of a threat or aggression against us. We have similar obligations. The military alliance between the countries is very close. Now the National Security Concept of the Union State is being prepared.

Our foreign "friends" are very interested in who will control the "button", where they will place TNWs, whether it is safe... Let them not worry too much. More than 40 facilities of the potential placement of TNW are in working condition here since times of Byelorussian Military District of the USSR. We will put them, where it will be necessary, on the basis of our security objectives.

As for control, in the Address to the people and the Parliament, Lukashenko stated unambiguously: "Everything that is in the territory of Belarus will be controlled by the President of Belarus. At the same time, we have no ambitions for TNW to be formally transferred into the ownership of the Belarusian side."