Nato has said Russia’s plan to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus is “dangerous and irresponsible”.
The transatlantic alliance is “vigilant”, a spokeswoman said, a day after President Vladimir Putin announced the plan. He said Moscow will complete the construction of a storage facility for tactical warheads in Belarus by the beginning of July.
Ukraine has sought an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council to discuss the Kremlin’s plan, and said the move amounts to “nuclear blackmail”.
Mr Putin responded to critics by comparing the move to the US basing part of its nuclear arsenal on the territory of its European allies.
Nato spokeswoman Oana Lungescu on Sunday said the western allies had not yet “seen any changes in Russia's nuclear posture that would lead us to adjust our own”.
“Russia's nuclear rhetoric is dangerous and irresponsible. Nato is vigilant, and we are closely monitoring the situation,” she said.
“Russia's reference to Nato's nuclear sharing is totally misleading. Nato allies act with full respect of their international commitments.
“Russia has consistently broken its arms control commitments, most recently suspending its participation in the New START Treaty.”
Last month Mr Putin said that Moscow would suspend participation in the New START treaty, the last nuclear arms control pact between Russia and the US.
Nato has urged Moscow to return to compliance with the pact “in good faith”.
‘Another provocative step’
The Ukrainian government was critical of Mr Putin’s nuclear arrangement with Minsk, with the Foreign Ministry describing it as “another provocative step” by Moscow that undermines “the international security system as a whole”.
“Russia once again confirms its chronic inability to be a responsible steward of nuclear weapons as a means of deterrence and prevention of war, not as a tool of threats and intimidation,” the ministry said.
Kyiv demanded a UN Security Council session and called on the Group of Seven (G7) countries and the EU to warn Belarus of “far-reaching consequences” if it decides to accept the Russian weapons.
Mr Putin said his vision would not violate nuclear non-proliferation promises and Russia would not hand off control of the weapons to Belarus, a leading ally.
In his announcement broadcast on state television, he said Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had requested the stationing of the weapons. Minsk has not yet commented publicly on Mr Putin's announcement.
The Belarusian army has not formally fought in Ukraine, but Minsk allowed Moscow to use Belarusian territory to send troops into Ukraine last year.
In a statement, the Ukrainian government said it called on all members of the international community to convey to Mr Putin’s government “the categorical unacceptability of its next nuclear provocations and to take decisive measures to effectively deter and prevent any possibility of the aggressor state's use of nuclear weapons.”
Russian invasion of Ukraine - in pictures
Specs
Engine: Dual-motor all-wheel-drive electric
Range: Up to 610km
Power: 905hp
Torque: 985Nm
Price: From Dh439,000
Available: Now
AUSTRALIA%20SQUAD
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My Country: A Syrian Memoir
Kassem Eid, Bloomsbury
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A Cat, A Man, and Two Women
Junichiro Tamizaki
Translated by Paul McCarthy
Daunt Books
if you go
The flights
Air Astana flies direct from Dubai to Almaty from Dh2,440 per person return, and to Astana (via Almaty) from Dh2,930 return, both including taxes.
The hotels
Rooms at the Ritz-Carlton Almaty cost from Dh1,944 per night including taxes; and in Astana the new Ritz-Carlton Astana (www.marriott) costs from Dh1,325; alternatively, the new St Regis Astana costs from Dh1,458 per night including taxes.
When to visit
March-May and September-November
Visas
Citizens of many countries, including the UAE do not need a visa to enter Kazakhstan for up to 30 days. Contact the nearest Kazakhstan embassy or consulate.
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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THE%C2%A0SPECS
%3Cp%3EEngine%3A%204-cylinder%202.5-litre%20%2F%202-litre%20turbo%0D%3Cbr%3EPower%3A%20188hp%20%2F%20248hp%0D%3Cbr%3ETorque%3A%20244Nm%20%2F%20370Nm%0D%3Cbr%3ETransmission%3A%207-speed%20auto%0D%3Cbr%3EOn%20sale%3A%20now%0D%3Cbr%3EPrice%3A%20From%20Dh110%2C000%0D%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
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Cryopreservation: A timeline
- Keyhole surgery under general anaesthetic
- Ovarian tissue surgically removed
- Tissue processed in a high-tech facility
- Tissue re-implanted at a time of the patient’s choosing
- Full hormone production regained within 4-6 months
New UK refugee system
- A new “core protection” for refugees moving from permanent to a more basic, temporary protection
- Shortened leave to remain - refugees will receive 30 months instead of five years
- A longer path to settlement with no indefinite settled status until a refugee has spent 20 years in Britain
- To encourage refugees to integrate the government will encourage them to out of the core protection route wherever possible.
- Under core protection there will be no automatic right to family reunion
- Refugees will have a reduced right to public funds
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
- Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
- Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
- Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
- Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
- Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
- The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
- Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269
*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year
Bundesliga fixtures
Saturday, May 16 (kick-offs UAE time)
Borussia Dortmund v Schalke (4.30pm)
RB Leipzig v Freiburg (4.30pm)
Hoffenheim v Hertha Berlin (4.30pm)
Fortuna Dusseldorf v Paderborn (4.30pm)
Augsburg v Wolfsburg (4.30pm)
Eintracht Frankfurt v Borussia Monchengladbach (7.30pm)
Sunday, May 17
Cologne v Mainz (4.30pm),
Union Berlin v Bayern Munich (7pm)
Monday, May 18
Werder Bremen v Bayer Leverkusen (9.30pm)
