< p>The autocratic leader of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko, accused NATO of planning an attack on his country and threatened to use nuclear weapons, DPA reported, quoted by BTA.
"An attack on Belarus means the Third World War", Lukashenko told students in Minsk, quoted by the Belarusian state news agency BelTA.
Both Belarus and its close ally Russia would use nuclear weapons in such a case, he said. Lukashenko thanked Russian President Vladimir Putin for the recent change in Russian nuclear doctrine.
In his speech at the State University of Informatics and Radioelectronics, Lukashenko said that NATO has concrete plans to attack Belarus. "The Americans and the Poles have already deployed along the border, especially the Polish one. We know that the Polish leadership is already wringing its hands," he added.
Minsk is prepared for such actions and will react immediately, Lukashenko was categorical.
Since NATO could counter the use of nuclear weapons with nuclear strikes of its own, Russia would deploy its entire arsenal. The West is not ready for such an escalation, said the president of Belarus.
Belarus itself is not a nuclear power, but since the end of 2023 Russian tactical nuclear weapons have been deployed on its territory. In April, Lukashenko mentioned the deployment of several dozen nuclear warheads, DPA notes.
Belarus also received Russian "Iskander" ballistic missiles, which can be equipped with nuclear warheads. Su-25 military aircraft have also been retrofitted to carry such weapons.
Although Moscow claims control over the nuclear weapons deployed in Belarus, Lukashenko has already included their use in his country's military doctrine.