Belarusian leader joins Putin in "intimidating" West with nuclear weapons and mentions "red lines"

Alexander Lukashenko, the self-proclaimed President of Belarus, has followed Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin in threatening the West with nuclear weapons.

Belarusian state-owned news outlet BelTA reported that Lukashenko expressed his gratitude to Putin for stating that he would use weapons of mass destruction if Belarus were attacked.

"As soon as they [NATO] attack us, we use nuclear weapons. Russia will defend us," Lukashenko said.

The Belarusian leader also claimed that Russia would deploy its entire nuclear arsenal in the event of a potential Western response, adding that such a scenario would lead to "a world war".

He noted that Belarus's "red line" is the state border.

"You step on it, we will respond immediately. We are preparing for this," he added.

On 25 September, Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin made changes to Russia's nuclear deterrence doctrine.

In response, the EU stated that Putin's latest threats to use nuclear weapons against non-nuclear states are yet another indication of his irresponsible behaviour and will not change the EU's stance on continuing to support Ukraine.

NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg noted he is sceptical of Russian leader Vladimir Putin's threats, which come amid discussions about allowing Ukraine to launch long-range missiles deep into Russia.

Ukraine's Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha is convinced that Ukraine’s allies should increase their support for Kyiv despite Russian leader Vladimir Putin's threats, as he does nothing beyond talking.