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Rabat – Russia has accused the US of hypocrisy over recent comments by President Joe Biden regarding Russia’s deployment of nuclear arms in Belarus.
On Thursday, Russia voiced its intention to deploy its first nuclear warheads outside the country since the 1991 Soviet Union fall, with Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko affirming that the weapons were already on the move.
Reacting to the news, President Biden described the Russian move as an “extremely negative” development. Russia responded by deeming the criticism hypocritical, noting: “Before blaming others, Washington could use some introspection.”
Meanwhile, the Russian Embassy in the US said: “We would like to emphasize that it is the sovereign right of Russia and Belarus to ensure their security by means we deem necessary amid a large-scale hybrid war unleashed by Washington against us.”
Russia’s measures and attitude are in line with its international legal obligations, added the embassy’s statement, explaining that the US has long maintained a large arsenal of nuclear arms in Europe together with its NATO allies.
The tactical nuclear weapons deployed by Russia are usually smaller in yield than the ones designed to destroy American or European cities, and can be used for tactical gains on the battlefield.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has repeatedly warned that Russia, which has more nuclear arms in its possession than any other country, will not rule out any means to defend itself against real and perceived threats to its national security.
The Ukraine conflict has brought back images of the Cold War, with the US having deployed some of its own nuclear warheads all over Europe, although details of their deployment remains classified.
