Is it for US? Russia on France’s ‘don’t deploy nukes on foreign territory’

Is Paris’ demands ‘not to deploy nuclear weapons on foreign territory’ addressed to Washington, the Russian Foreign Ministry asked France President Emmanuel Macron and taking a jibe at the US.

Taking to Twitter, the Russian Foreign Ministry said, “Russian MFA Spokeswoman Maria Zakharova: Am I correct in understanding that Paris’s tough demand is addressed to Washington?”

The Ministry also shared two images claiming that the US deployed Nuclear weapons across Europe. It also lists names of six countries where the US had deployed its nuclear weapon “US B61.”

This remark came after, the French President, while addressing a presser in China, said, “France believes that nuclear weapons should be completely excluded from the conflict in Ukraine. In no case can nuclear weapons be deployed outside the territory of nuclear power, especially in Europe,” according to Sputnik News Agency.

During a state visit to China, Macron also argued that Russia’s recent decision to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus is “out of line” with its obligations under international law.

“China and France, […] given their history of love and adherence to independence, should cooperate to bolster an international order that could meet the challenges of the times,” Macron stressed, reported Sputnik News Agency.

This statement came after Russian President Vladimir Putin made a statement about plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in the territory of Russia’s neighbour and ally Belarus, reported ABC News.

Putin has said that the construction of storage facilities for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus will be complete by July 1 and added that Russia has helped modernize Belarusian warplanes to make them capable of carrying nuclear weapons.

The two neighbours have an agreement envisioning close economic, political and military ties. Russia used Belarusian territory as a staging ground for invading Ukraine and has maintained a contingent of troops and weapons there, according to ABC News.

Belarus shares a 1,250-kilometer border with NATO members Latvia, Lithuania and Poland.

Tactical nuclear weapons, which are intended to destroy enemy troops and weapons on the battlefield, have a relatively short range and a much lower yield compared with nuclear warheads fitted to long-range strategic missiles that are capable of obliterating whole cities.