Even the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus should not be considered an offensive action by the Russia which for years has been doing nothing but trying to protect themselves «from NATO initiatives». It’s the West that, even, is now trying to «Create a new Axis» like the one that saw the alliance between Germany, Italy and Japan in the 1930s.
Putin, who by now seems to identify Russia more and more with the Soviet Union, explained in detail his vision of the events of these years in the long television interview given to the Rossiya 1 channel which was partly anticipated on Saturday with the announcement of the bombs moved to Belarus.
So if Moscow is transforming the country governed with an iron fist by Alexander Lukashenko, only Europe and the United States are to blame. For Russian viewers who, for the most part, have no other means of information at their disposal to get an idea of how things are going in the world, Putin told what is happening. “The West begins to build a new Axis similar to the one that was created in the 1930s by the fascist regimes in Germany and Italy and militarist Japan.” Axis that, as he already claimed in his time Stalinwas uniquely anti-Soviet.
The head of the Kremlin recalled how European and American analysts themselves are speaking of new ties between NATO and Far Eastern countries, Japan, Korea up to Australia and New Zealand. A kind of new mega-alliance that has the sole purpose of isolating and putting in a position not to harm Russia.
Putin then also addressed relations with Chinasaying that between Moscow and Beijing there are simple diplomatic and economic relations, as well as military exercises, and not an actual alliance. Instead, according to him, it is Europe that is becoming increasingly dependent on China: “They should take care of themselves”.
During the interview, the Russian leader he did not specify when the atomic bombs will be moved to Belarus. He only specified that a special deposit will be ready by July 1st. And he also reiterated that Belarusian pilots are being trained to operate a dozen aircraft capable of carrying these bombs.
Both he and Lukashenko have long confirmed that they have also been installed in the country located between Russia and Poland Iskander-M missiles with a range of about five hundred kilometers. Other identical means are found, according to NATO, also in the territory of Kaliningrad which is nestled between the Baltic countries and Poland (this is the former East Prussia).
The United States at the moment they don’t seem particularly concerned about Putin’s announcement and they confirm that they have no data demonstrating a real Russian intention to resort to atomic weapons. The Europeans are more tense, especially those capitals that were part of the Warsaw Pact (the alliance between Russia and its satellites in the Old Continent) and which today consider themselves on the front line. These countries welcomed the decision of the Nordic states (Sweden, Finland, Denmark, Norway) to coordinate their air forces. A move that could make NATO deterrence more efficient.
A warning to Minsk then came from EU foreign policy chief Borrell: acceptance of the new military assets could lead to further sanctions against Belarus.
Putin’s interview on one of the two most popular TV channels also serves to strengthen internally the vision of a Russia in emergency, not to say at war, exactly like the USSR during what is still called the Great Patriotic War. And this rhetoric pays off: 79.3 percent of Russians continue to trust the Chief. Other polls also tell us that even those who would like the Operation in Ukraine to end soon do not contemplate the idea of a Russian defeat.