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Belarus drops its non-nuclear status in 2022
Summary
A look back at the Belarusian announcement that opened the door to hosting nuclear weapons, made as Russia's offensive in Ukraine continued.
What did Belarus announce on 28 February 2022, and why did it matter to its neighbours? Minsk confirmed that it had revoked its status as a non-nuclear state, a step that allowed the country to host and develop its own nuclear weapons.
The change was part of a constitutional referendum held on 27 February 2022, which President Alexander Lukashenko had ordered in January 2022. Among the proposed amendments, the vote also renounced Belarus's nuclear-free zone status. The referendum took place several days after Russia began its military offensive into Ukraine, and in the period when Russia had amassed troops in both Russia and Belarus.
On 28 February 2022, Lukashenko added a condition of his own. He said he could ask Russia to return nuclear missiles to Belarus if any nuclear weapons were transferred to Poland or Lithuania.
The referendum also proposed other changes: it would empower the All-Belarusian People's Assembly, an extra-parliamentary body composed mostly of state officials, and would allow Lukashenko to extend his time in office.
The confirmation on 28 February 2022 tied the referendum's result directly to the security situation around Ukraine, with Belarus now formally free of the constraint on hosting nuclear weapons.
