NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu criticised Putin for his "dangerous and irresponsible" nuclear rhetoric, adding that NATO is closely monitoring the situation.
Lungescu also accused Russia of consistently violating its arms control commitments and said that Putin's description of US weapons deployment overseas was far from accurate.
"Russia's reference to NATO's nuclear sharing is totally misleading. NATO allies act with full respect of their international commitments," NATO spokesperson Oana Lungescu said in emailed comments to Reuters on Sunday.
During an interview with state television on Saturday, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that tactical nuclear weapons will be deployed on Belarusian territory by June 1.
The announcement has sparked concerns and prompted Ukraine to request a United Nations Security Council meeting on the matter.
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Sunday urged Belarus not to host Russian nuclear weapons, saying Minsk could face further sanctions if it did.
"Belarus hosting Russian nuclear weapons would mean an irresponsible escalation and threat to European security," Borrell said in a tweet.
In response to Putin's announcement, the US Department of Defense said it currently sees no signs of Russia preparing to use nuclear weapons.
(ał)
Source: IAR, Reuters