Ukraine war: Putin confirms first nuclear weapons moved to Belarus

Russia has already stationed a archetypal batch of tactical atomic weapons successful Belarus, Vladimir Putin says.

Speaking astatine an economical forum, helium said they would lone beryllium utilized if Russia's territory oregon authorities was threatened.

The US authorities says determination is nary denotation the Kremlin plans to usage atomic weapons to onslaught Ukraine.

"We don't spot immoderate indications that Russia is preparing to usage a atomic weapon," US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said aft Mr Putin's comments.

Belarus is simply a cardinal Russian state and served arsenic a launchpad for Mr Putin's full-scale penetration of Ukraine successful February past year.

The tactical atomic warheads are little almighty than overmuch of the remainder of Russia's atomic arsenal. Mr Putin said the transportation would beryllium finished by the extremity of the summer.

Answering questions aft a code astatine the St Petersburg International Economic Forum, Russia's president said the determination was astir "containment" and to punctual anyone "thinking of inflicting a strategical decision connected us".

When asked by the the forum's moderator astir the anticipation of utilizing those weapons, helium replied: "Why should we endanger the full world? I person already said that the usage of utmost measures is imaginable successful lawsuit determination is simply a information to Russian statehood."

The Russian person is owed to conscionable African leaders successful St Petersburg aft they visited Kyiv connected Friday arsenic portion of a bid inaugural they are presenting to some countries.

However portion they were successful the metropolis it came nether Russian rocket attack.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called for de-escalation connected some sides and negotiations for peace.

"We came present to perceive and recognise what the radical of Ukraine person gone through," helium said.

But Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said alternatively of making diplomatic overtures to Russia it should beryllium frozen retired diplomatically to nonstop a connection that the planetary assemblage condemned its invasion.

Kyiv would not participate negotiations with Moscow portion it inactive occupied Ukrainian territory, Mr Zelensky said.

Mr Putin besides repeated his assertion that Ukraine stood nary accidental of succeeding successful its ongoing counter-offensive.

The Ukrainian subject was besides moving retired of its ain subject instrumentality and would soon lone beryllium utilizing Western-donated equipment, helium said.

"You can't combat for agelong similar that," helium said, informing that immoderate F16 US combatant jets fixed to Ukraine "will burn, nary uncertainty astir it".

Ukraine has antecedently dismissed akin remarks, asserting they are making advancement successful recapturing territory successful some eastbound and confederate Ukraine.

The BBC cannot independently verify battlefield claims.

The Russian person besides addressed economical themes, claiming that Western sanctions connected Russia had failed to isolate it and alternatively led to an "expansion" successful its commercialized with "the markets of the future".

He praised caller deals with countries successful Asia, the Middle East and Latin America - calling them "reliable, liable partners".