Russian and Belarusian Leaders Meet to Cement Strategic Partnership Amidst Nuclear Weapons Deployment

 The leaders of Russia and Belarus met in St. Petersburg on Monday to discuss further expanding their strategic partnership, which has included the deployment of some of Russia's nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory. President Vladimir Putin emphasized the importance of their 25-year union agreement, which has resulted in close political, economic, and military ties between the two nations. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has relied on Russian subsidies and political support to maintain his rule, and Moscow's backing helped him survive major protests against his 2020 reelection, which the opposition and the West saw as rigged.

Last year, Russia moved some of its short-range nuclear weapons into Belarus, closer to Ukraine and NATO's doorstep, as part of their efforts to discourage the West from increasing military support to Kyiv. The ongoing cooperation between Russia and Belarus on the international arena has been a key aspect of their alliance, with Lukashenko allowing the Kremlin to use Belarusian territory to send troops into Ukraine in February 2022. The deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus was said to have been finalized in October, although the exact number of weapons stationed in the country was not disclosed. This meeting solidified the ongoing alliance and cooperation between the two nations in the face of unprecedented foreign pressure.