The Defence ministers of Russia and Belarus, Sergey Shoigu and Viktor Khrenin, respectively signed the documents on Thursday defining the procedures for storing Russian nuclear weapons at a special storage facility on Belarusian territory, the Belarusian Defense Ministry reported.
The observer countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Iran and Belarus could soon become full-time members of the charter as the decision is under consideration as of now, an official said on Thursday.
"Had fruitful discussions with the Defence Minister of Belarus, Lieutenant General Khernin Victor Gennadievich in New Delhi," the Union Defence Minister tweeted on Friday.
Defence Ministers of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan will participate in the meeting. India has invited Belarus and Iran, currently observers in SCO, to participate in the SCO Defence Ministers' Meeting.
The statement said, "There can be no impunity for war crimes and other atrocities such as Russia's attacks against civilians and critical civilian infrastructure."
"Condemning President Putin's announcement to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, the G7 Foreign Ministers reaffirmed that Russia's irresponsible nuclear rhetoric is unacceptable," the statement read.
Belarus has blamed "unprecedented pressure" from the United States, Great Britain and their NATO allies for the decision to host Russian tactical weapons in its territory, according to the statement released by Belarus' Foreign Ministry in response to TASS agency's question.
The National Olympic Committee of Australia (AOC) expressed its readiness to welcome athletes representing Russia and Belarus at the 2032 Olympic Games in Brisbane, AOC Chief Executive Matt Carroll told journalists. According to Carroll, Russian and Belarusian athletes "will take part in the
"We have not seen any reason to adjust our own strategic nuclear posture nor any indications Russia is preparing to use a nuclear weapon," State Department spokesperson Vedant Patel said.
"Russia's reference to NATO's nuclear sharing is totally misleading. NATO allies act with full respect of their international commitments," a NATO spokesperson said in emailed comments to Reuters on Sunday.