Valdimir Putin says Russia put nuclear bombs in Belarus as warning to West

The Russian leader announced in March he had agreed to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, pointing to the US deployment of such weapons in a host of European countries over many decades

Russian President Vladimir Putin speaks during a meeting with a delegation of African leaders and senior officials in St Petersburg. Picture: Pavel Bednyakov/Photo host Agency RIA Novosti via AP

President Vladimir Putin said on Friday that his deployment of tactical nuclear weapons to Belarus, something he confirmed for the first time had already happened, was a reminder to the West that it could not inflict a strategic defeat on Russia.

Speaking at Russia's flagship economic forum in St Petersburg, Putin said Russian tactical nuclear warheads had already been delivered to close ally Belarus, but stressed he saw no need for Russia to resort to nuclear weapons for now.