Bulgaria calls for peace talks after Putin’s decision to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus

Vice President of Bulgaria Iliana Iotova has called for the resumption of peace talks with Russia after Russian leader Vladimir Putin announced that his country would deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

Source: European Pravda

Details: Iotova said that in light of Putin’s announcement the situation "is growing more dangerous and more frightening". Iotova, a member of the Socialist Party, stressed the importance of peace talks to avoid escalation.

"When I or President Rumen Radev [who leans pro-Russian – ed.] say that there is a need for peace talks, it is not just idle talk. This is our real desire, because the majority of arms from all countries can lead to unexpected decisions being made, which threatens a serious war," Radio Bulgaria cited Iotova as saying.

Iotova said she hoped that Putin’s announcement was rather a threat than a precursor to any real action.

"I hope that reason will prevail and that in this case, we are dealing with a threat rather than any real action," she said.

Background: On 25 March, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that Russia would deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus; a storage facility would be ready by July.

NATO has called Russia's nuclear rhetoric "dangerous and irresponsible", while the United States has noted that the government sees no signs of Russia preparing to use nuclear weapons.

Josep Borrell, High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, sees the possible deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus as a threat to European security. 

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