Tokyo, 18 April (HS): The Group of Seven (G-7) has condemned the announcement of Russian President Vladimir Putin to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus. G-7 issued a statement saying that Putin’s move is ‘unacceptable’.

Putin recently announced the move to deploy nuclear weapons in neighbouring Belarus. The G-7 statement came after the meeting between foreign ministers of the member nations in Karuizawa, Nagano in Japan. Besides Japan, foreign ministers of the US, England, Italy, Germany, France, and Canada unanimously condemned Putin’s threat.

Putin said that the construction of storage facilities for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus will be completed by July 1, and Russia has helped Belarus in modernising its warplanes, making them capable of carrying nuclear warheads.

The G-7 Group Foreign Ministers have demanded control over the Russian move, and have appealed to other nations to react to it.

Russia and Belarus have an agreement envisioning close economic, political, and military ties. Russia plans to use Belarus territory for invading Ukraine. Belarus shares a 1,250 km border with Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland, which are NATO members.

Hindusthan Samachar/ Ajay Mardikar/ Sanjiv Mishr