Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko told his state-run television network that he would not hesitate to use the nuclear weapons Russia deployed in his country starting in June if he believes the nation is being attacked, UPI reports. Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered the delivery of tactical nuclear missiles to Belarus as a reward to Lukashenko for supporting Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.
Belarus became home to thousands of Wagner mercenaries after a stalled coup sent Putin temporarily into hiding. Using Belarus as a jumping-off point, Wagner fighters have transited a narrow strip of land between Poland and Lithuania to get to an isolated outcrop of Russian territory on the Baltic Sea.
Polish and Lithuanian officials have expressed concerns that the Wagner troops are infiltrating their nations. One possible concern is that the Wagner troops could be used to instigate a false flag attack on Russia or Belarusian territory, thereby giving the Kremlin an excuse for military action against its NATO neighbors.