Belarus drops non-nuclear status as war in Ukraine begins
A look back at the Belarusian announcement on nuclear weapons that followed a constitutional referendum.
What did Belarus signal to its neighbours on 28 February 2022? It confirmed that it had revoked its status as a non-nuclear state, a step that allowed the country to host and develop its own nuclear weapons.
The change came through a constitutional referendum held on 27 February 2022, which President Lukashenko had ordered in January 2022. Among the proposed amendments was the renunciation of Belarus's nuclear-free zone status. Other changes would have empowered the All-Belarusian People's Assembly, an extra-parliamentary body composed mostly of state officials, and would have allowed the president to stay in office for a further period.
The timing was striking. The vote took place several days after Russia began its military offensive into Ukraine, and Russia had amassed troops in both Russia and Belarus beforehand.
On 28 February 2022, Lukashenko also set out a condition of his own. He said he could ask Russia to return nuclear missiles to Belarus if any nuclear weapons were transferred to Poland or Lithuania.
The announcement was therefore both a legal confirmation and a conditional warning to two neighbouring countries, delivered as the war in Ukraine entered its first week.
