Russia clashes with US over tactical nukes for Belarus

By EDITH M. LEDERER
Associated Press

UNITED NATIONS (AP) — Russia and the U.S. have clashed in the United Nations over Moscow’s plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. Ukraine, which called for Friday’s U.N. Security Council meeting, denounced the planned deployment as a desperate Kremlin attempt to avoid military defeat and “threaten the world with nuclear apocalypse.” China, without naming Russia, made clear its opposition to the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus. Russian President Vladimir Putin’s announcement a week ago that his country plans to deploy tactical, comparatively short-range and small-yield nuclear weapons in Belarus. The Belarusian president upped the ante just before the council meeting, saying Russia might also deploy strategic nuclear weapons in Belarus.