Belarus preparing to install nuclear weapons on its fighter jets

Minsk: President of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, has created a stir by announcing that Belarus has completed the necessary modifications to equip the SU-24 fighter jet fleet with nuclear weapons. He threatened that Belarus would respond strongly if the West tried to fester the situation further. Belarus has been in full support of Russia in the conflict against Ukraine. The warning from the president of Belarus has created uncertainty about if the warning was meant for neighbour Poland or the entire West.

Ever since the Russia- Ukraine conflict started, Belarus has been in total support of Russia. The Russian forces are using the territory of Belarus, while NATO and the US have been using Poland to help Ukraine. Therefore, the countries in this region have been clashing against each other and Belarus is facing danger from the US activities in Poland.

Against this backdrop, President Lukashenko of Belarus warned that the SU-24 jets are being modified to carry nuclear weapons to strike any movement in case the West escalates the situation. In contrast, neither helicopters nor fighter jets of the West will be able to protect them. The warning seems to be directed to Poland even though it is addressed to the West.

As Belarus does not have nuclear weapons, by the warning of President Lukashenko, it seems that Belarus would use Russian nuclear weapons for the attacks. In the wake of the conflict in Ukraine, Belarus, a staunch supporter of Russia, has adopted a tough stance against the West, including Ukraine. Currently, around 1,000 Russian soldiers and weapons are deployed in Belarus. Along with this, the agencies of the western countries have alleged that some parts of the Russian air defence systems S-400 and S-300 are also deployed in Belarus.

Therefore, while the United States and NATO are using Ukraine’s neighbours like Poland against Russia, Russia is strategically using Belarus. President Lukashenko is sending a message that if the conflict in Ukraine escalates and Belarus is attacked, there will be dire consequences. But his warning has once again exposed the world to the frightening possibility that the conflict in Ukraine could turn into a nuclear war.