Putin’s decision to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus violates multiple international agreements on the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons - from contractual obligations and decisions of the UN Security Council and ending with the notorious Budapest Memorandum, stated Arseniy Yatsenyuk, head of the Kyiv Security Forum, Prime Minister of Ukraine in 2014-16.
“Putin cynically announced his next crime immediately after the joint statement of the heads of Russia and China on the prevention of the deployment of nuclear weapons to other states. Both actors call each other friends. Both agreed to protect this undying friendship,” Yatsenyuk wrote.
“Did China's leader Xi know about the intentions of his friend Putin? Does this decision have the blessing of China and thus nullify all the Xi’s declarative peace initiatives. If the leader of China did not know about these Putin’s intentions, how does he now assess his friendship with a war criminal who never keeps his word and is ready to backstab China at any moment?”, head of the KSF said.
Arseniy Yatsenyuk called Putin's decision to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus “a slap in the face of both Beijing's peace declarations and the efforts of the international community to stop Russian aggression.”
“Ukraine expects China, as well as the entire civilized world, to condemn such actions,” he stated: “The danger from Russia's actions is growing. Putin's nuclear aggression has reached a new level. All those who remain silent will bear their responsibility for a possible nuclear catastrophe.”