Home › World › What did Belarus change about nuclear weapons?
What did Belarus change about nuclear weapons?
Summary
A look back at the Belarusian announcement on its non-nuclear status, made as Russia's offensive against Ukraine continued.
What did it mean when Belarus confirmed it had dropped its non-nuclear status? As of 1 March 2022, the announcement was the latest development from Minsk, made a day earlier, on 28 February 2022.
Belarus said it had revoked its status as a non-nuclear state. That allowed the country to host and develop its own nuclear weapons. President Alexander Lukashenko added that he could ask Russia to return nuclear missiles to Belarus if any nuclear weapons were transferred to Poland or Lithuania.
The referendum behind it
The change came from a constitutional referendum held on 27 February 2022, which Lukashenko had ordered in January 2022. Among the proposed amendments was one renouncing Belarus's nuclear-free zone status. Others would have empowered the All-Belarusian People's Assembly, an extra-parliamentary body composed mostly of state officials.
The timing
The vote took place while Russia had troops massed in both Russia and Belarus ahead of its invasion of Ukraine. It was held several days after Russia began its military offensive into Ukraine.
The conditional threat toward Poland and Lithuania linked the new constitutional position to the security of Belarus's western neighbours. The practical effect of the change was not set out in the reports from that day.
