No indications Russia is planning to use a nuclear weapon, US says

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin shake hands during a visit from Xi in Moscow. On Tuesday, Xi held talks with Putin at the Kremlin. (Xie Huanchi/Xinhua/Getty Images)

Vladimir Putin says Russia has not “created a military alliance with China and does not threaten any countries."

The comment follows Chinese President Xi Jinping’s three-day state visit to Moscow last week, which was closely watched for signs China might step up support for Russia.

The US administration maintains China has been providing “non-lethal” assistance to Russia through its companies. 

Speaking during a TV interview Putin also accused the West of “starting to build a new axis similar to the one built by fascist Germany and militaristic Japan.”

Some background: Xi visited Putin for the first time since the invasion of Ukraine, a trip which Beijing cast as a "journey of peace."

But the visit came just days after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Putin on account of war crimes, which US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said showed China's intent to provide "diplomatic cover" for alleged Russian atrocities in Ukraine.

China has claimed neutrality in the conflict, seeking to portray itself as a peacemaker. At the same time is has backed Kremlin rhetoric blaming NATO for the war and refused to condemn the invasion.

Russia’s plans to deploy tactical weapons in Belarus has been described as a “step towards internal destabilization of the country” by a security advisor to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.

“Putin’s statement about placing tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus – a step towards internal destabilization of the country – maximizes the level of negative perception and public rejection of Russia and Putin in Belarusian society,” Oleksiy Danilov, the Secretary of the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine, said on Twitter Sunday.

“The Kremlin took Belarus as a nuclear hostage,” he added. 

In a televised address Saturday, President Vladimir Putin announced plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, which is Russia's neighboring ally. 

The weapons Putin plans to move to Belarus are not intercontinental ballistic missiles, but rather smaller, more tactical nuclear weapons for use on the battlefield. 

The US has given a cautious reaction to Russia’s plan to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus saying it would “continue to monitor the implications."

“We have not seen any reason to adjust our own strategic nuclear posture nor any indications Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon,” State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said in a statement to CNN.

Russia and Belarus have discussed this movement of weapons for some time, having made multiple statements throughout the past year, another State Department spokesperson said.

An aerial view of the Gates of Minsk in Belarus, June, 2019. (Sergey Alimov/Getty Images)

Russian President Vladimir Putin told state television that Moscow will retain control over any of the tactical nuclear weapons it plans to station in neighboring Belarus.

He likened the move to the United States’ practice of stationing nuclear weapons in Europe. Washington retains control over the weapons, keeping host countries — like Germany — from breaking their commitments as non-nuclear powers.

“We are not going to hand over control of nuclear weapons. The US doesn’t hand it over to its allies. We're basically doing the same thing (US leaders) have been doing for a decade,” Putin said.

Some background: Even though there is no guarantee the Russian leader will follow through with his plan to station the weapons in Belarus, any nuclear signaling by Putin will cause concern in the West.

Since invading Ukraine more than a year ago, the Russian leader has used escalating rhetoric on a number of occasions, warning of the "increasing" threat of nuclear war and suggesting Moscow may abandon its "no first use" policy.

The United States has sought to make it clear to Putin the consequences of any use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, even low-yield tactical devices.

Russian President Vladimir Putin during the Russia-Africa International Parliamentary Conference on March, 20 in Moscow. (Contributor/Getty Images)

Russia plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, President Vladimir Putin told state television Saturday.

Moscow will complete the construction of a special storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus by the beginning of July, Putin told state broadcaster Russia 1.

The Russian leader said Moscow has already transferred an Iskander short-range missile system – which can be fitted with nuclear or conventional warheads – to Belarus.

During the interview, Putin also said Russia has helped Belarus convert 10 aircraft to make them capable of carrying tactical nuclear warheads. Russia will start training pilots to fly the re-configured planes early next month, he added.

Key context: The government in Belarus, which is situated west of Russia on Ukraine's long northern border, is among Moscow's closest allies.

Belarus has had no nuclear weapons on its territory since the early 1990s. Shortly after gaining independence following the collapse of the Soviet Union, it agreed to transfer all Soviet-era weapons of mass destruction stationed there to Russia.

Belarus helped Russia launch its initial invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, allowing the Kremlin's troops to enter the country from the north. There have been fears throughout the conflict that Belarus will again be used as a launching ground for an offensive, or that Minsk's own troops will join the conflict.

Global tensions: Even though there is no guarantee the Russian leader will follow through with his plan to station the weapons in Belarus, any nuclear signaling by Putin will cause concern in the West.

Since invading Ukraine more than a year ago, the Russian leader has used escalating rhetoric on a number of occasions, warning of the "increasing" threat of nuclear war and suggesting Moscow may abandon its "no first use" policy.

The United States has sought to make it clear to Putin the consequences of any use of nuclear weapons in Ukraine, even low-yield tactical devices.

Speaking in October, US President Joe Biden told CNN’s Jake Tapper, “It would be irresponsible for me to talk about what we would or wouldn’t do,” in response to nuclear use by Russia.

But Biden hinted at the possibility of a rapid escalation in events. 

“The mistakes get made, the miscalculation could occur, no one could be sure what would happen and it could end in Armageddon,” he said.

CNN's Peter Wilkinson, Frederik Pletigen, Zahra Ullah, Claudia Otto and Rob Picheta contributed.

Hello and welcome to our coverage of the war in Ukraine.

We will be bringing you reaction to the news that Russia plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, a key ally.

There have also been further developments in Bakhmut, a frontline city in the east that has seen some of the fiercest fighting of the conflict.

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