Russian President Vladimir Putin (R) shakes hands Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko at a meeting at the Novo-Ogaryovo state resident outside Moscow, Russia on February 17, 2023. (Photo: Reuters)

Putin made the announcement amid growing tensions with the West.

He said Russia will have completed the construction of a storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus by July 1, adding that there is nothing unusual with the deployment because the US has long deployed its tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of its allies.

Putin said the move is in response to a longstanding request from Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who has raised concerns over the deployment of nuclear weapons by the US and the EU to threaten Belarus.

Earlier, the UK announced that it will provide Ukraine with armor-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium.

Following Putin’s statement, the US Department of Defense said Russia and Belarus had discussed the transfer of nuclear weapons for a long time and there were no signs Moscow planned to use its nuclear weapons.