Belarus-Russia: Switzerland calls for ‘urgent measures’ to reduce nuclear risks
A Yars intercontinental ballistic missile being test-fired as part of Russia's nuclear drills from a launch site in Plesetsk, northwest Russia on October 26, 2022.
Russian Defense Ministry Press Service
Russia has announced plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, escalating a standoff with the West. Switzerland says urgent measures must be taken to reduce any risks linked to the weapons.
This content was published on
2 minutes
Keystone-SDA/EDA/sb
Português
pt
Suíça pede “medidas urgentes” para reduzir riscos nucleares
“A nuclear war can never be won and must never be waged,” tweetedExternal link Nicolas Bideau, head of communications at the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs (FDFA), on Sunday.
“Switzerland is calling for urgent measures to reduce any risk relating to such weapons.”
NATO has criticised Vladimir Putin for “dangerous” nuclear rhetoric after the Russian president announced the plans on Saturday.
“Russia’s nuclear rhetoric is dangerous and irresponsible,” NATO spokeswoman Oana Lungescu said on Sunday.
“NATO is vigilant, and we are closely monitoring the situation. We have not seen any changes in Russia’s nuclear posture that would lead us to adjust our own.”
Putin compared his Belarus plan on Saturday to the United States stationing its weapons in Europe, insisting that Russia would not violate its nuclear non-proliferation promises.
Ukraine’s security chief, Oleksiy Danilov, said Russia’s plan would destabilise Belarus, which he said had been taken “hostage” by Moscow.
Others condemning Putin’s plan included Lithuania, which said it would call for new sanctions against Moscow and Minsk, while European Union policy chief Josep Borrell urged Belarus not to host the weapons and threatened more sanctions.
The Geneva-based International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN) said Russia’s plans to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus represent an “extremely dangerous escalation”.
This increases the likelihood that such weapons will be used, the Nobel Prize-winning organisation said on SaturdayExternal link. In the context of the Ukraine war, it “complicates decision making and increases the risk of miscalculation, miscommunication and potentially catastrophic accidents”.
What factors should be taken into account when inheriting Swiss citizenship abroad?
Should there be a limit to the passing on of Swiss citizenship? Or is the current practice too strict and it should still be possible to register after the age of 25?
Is your place of origin, your Heimatort, important to you?
Every Swiss citizen has a Heimatort, a place of origin, but many have never visited theirs. What’s your relationship with your Heimatort? What does it mean to you?
This content was published on
Scientists have shown that bonobos combine their calls into complex sound sequences that resemble combinations of human words.
This content was published on
US parliamentarians have threatened the UN Human Rights Council with sanctions similar to those against the International Criminal Court (ICC).
This content was published on
Thanks to abundant snowfall, lift operators benefited from increased visitor numbers, with the number of guests jumping by 12% year-on-year.
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.
Read more
More
Russian nuclear arms in Belarus a ‘dangerous escalation’, says Geneva NGO group
This content was published on
Russia’s plans to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus are an “extremely dangerous escalation”, says the Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).
This content was published on
Russia has hinted nuclear weapons could be used again. In this podcast episode, Inside Geneva host Imogen Foulkes asks experts how big the threat is.
Switzerland urged to officially renounce nuclear weapons
This content was published on
Political and humanitarian actors have called on Switzerland to sign the United Nations Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
This content was published on
Nuclear weapons have evolved a lot since the Second World War. Today, a nuclear conflict would have devastating effects, not only for Ukraine.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.