By Dmitry Antonov and Guy FaulconbridgeMOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia will not deploy nuclear weapons abroad except in its ally Belarus but will find ways to counter any deployment of U.S. tactical nuclear weapons in Britain, the deputy minister in charge of arms control said on Thursday.
President Vladimir Putin said last year that Moscow had transferred some tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, blaming what he casts as a hostile and aggressive West for the decision.
Asked by reporters if Russia would deploy nuclear weapons beyond Belarus, for example in South America, Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov said: "No, it is not planned."
Separately, Ryabkov told Russia Today in an interview that U.S. plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons to Britain would not deter Moscow.
Neither Britain nor the United States have confirmed reports of the planned deployment of tactical nuclear weapons.
Persons:
Dmitry Antonov, Guy Faulconbridge MOSCOW, Vladimir Putin, Sergei Ryabkov, Ryabkov, Putin, Volodymyr Zelenskiy, Zelenskiy's, Guy Faulconbridge, Gareth Jones
Organizations:
Federation of American Scientists, North Atlantic Alliance, NATO, Russia Today
Locations:
Russia, Belarus, Britain, Moscow, South America, Israel, Gaza, United States, Suffolk, England, Belgium, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, Turkey, Ukraine, China, India, Brazil, South Africa, Kyiv