Belarus Minister Warns World Closer Than Ever to Nuclear Doomsday Amid Russian Missile Deployment

Belarusian Foreign Minister Maxim Ryzhenkov, a close ally of Vladimir Putin, warned at the United Nations that the world is at its closest point ever to nuclear apocalypse, with the Doomsday Clock set at 89 seconds to midnight. He highlighted that Russia plans to station nuclear weapons, including Oreshnik ballistic missiles capable of carrying nuclear warheads, in Belarus, which borders several NATO countries. Ryzhenkov accused the West of escalating tensions by rearming and laying mines on Belarus’s borders, claiming these actions forced Belarus to deploy Russian tactical nuclear weapons for security. He emphasized that Belarus now possesses weapons of "monstrous destructive power," and cited an agreement with Russia allowing the use of any weapon, including nuclear arms, for defense. The deployment of these weapons in Belarus significantly shortens the time for nuclear strikes on Western targets, increasing the risk of rapid escalation. These developments underscore the intensifying global tensions amid the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and the broader geopolitical standoff between Russia and the West.