Ukraine calls for UNSC emergency meeting over deployment of tactical nuke arms in Belarus

Ukraine has urged for calling an extraordinary meeting of the United Nations Security Council over possible deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, the Ukrainian foreign ministry said on Sunday.

"Ukraine expects the United Kingdom, China, the United States, and France to take effective actions to counter the nuclear threat from the Kremlin," it said. "For these ends, we demand a UN Security Council call an extraordinary meeting."

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Saturday that at Belarus’ request Russia will deploy its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, like the United States has long been doing on the territories of its allied countries. Moscow has already transferred to Minsk an Iskander system that can use nuclear weapons. According to the Russian leader, the construction of a depot for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus is expected to be completed on July 1.