Russia and Belarus signed a deal to formalise the deployment of Russian tactical nuclear missiles on Belarusian territory.

Moscow will retain control over the weapons and any decisions on their use.

[{"selector":"#anim-2c07dba4-305d-4051-9551-f665f7efd6ad","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-47fe6d4a-854a-4265-a582-dcd6dfc21847","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 161.28653%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-4b44f2f5-290f-4691-8b6a-32e83c8603d7 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(59.93030852232096%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}]

Rising tensions with the West prompt Russia's decision.

[{"selector":"#anim-3faf887e-17e2-4cc8-b03b-a08628d6845b [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(41.905829175184635%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-07385896-1f0b-4d14-a07a-3dfed5bb6213","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-17b942a1-c0ef-401d-b0dd-e08ab4fc609c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 211.74606%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d83f6f71-9fa9-4551-a2dd-0659f8dd4665","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-20e0e933-f953-40bc-a100-cbc962c80171","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}]

Russia says the decision was driven by "extremely sharp escalation of threats" on both countries.

[{"selector":"#anim-70cff901-6d4d-494b-b06d-397de28e2bed [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(57.96591442098254%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-d6995071-d7de-40eb-8f80-39d06955c393","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-1f61e725-6e7f-4b5d-a17a-4f90f069b9fb","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-15120b90-fffc-4c1f-b391-3095526a5883","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a3358b83-5da7-4ca1-b3bf-55626936bd1c","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 139.46361%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

The deployment of the missiles was first announced by President Vladimir Putin in March.

[{"selector":"#anim-851beaab-272e-47c5-bc93-8a14a9cec93c [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(45.08675351660728%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-6ecf7112-cdff-4926-bed4-aed7302b652d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-af128cff-5d2c-4ead-988c-29dcd38d6ff2","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-c6f7c6b7-362b-46c5-b694-b74e32a8fb8e","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-b11031aa-057e-4c5a-96c7-3dd2e489979e","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 138.77396%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}]

NATO says Belarus being "taken hostage" by Moscow.

[{"selector":"#anim-a6c301d1-7080-4f2d-849f-377a451f8089 [data-leaf-element=\"true\"]","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(42.29712698178991%, 0, 0)","translate3d(0%, 0, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":1000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-a7e9bdb7-38ed-4b9c-8f80-e56cb3f4099d","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-39cac671-29a7-4891-b140-35a0ec21e152","keyframes":{"transform":["scale(0.3333333333333333)","scale(1)"]},"delay":0,"duration":2000,"easing":"cubic-bezier(.3,0,.55,1)","fill":"forwards"}] [{"selector":"#anim-cd707de2-d2a7-476f-a85d-b56db0751bfa","keyframes":{"opacity":[0,1]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] [{"selector":"#anim-f6e56518-d0e9-41bc-9b61-15fa7624a0ff","keyframes":{"transform":["translate3d(0px, 188.88889%, 0)","translate3d(0px, 0px, 0)"]},"delay":0,"duration":600,"easing":"cubic-bezier(0.2, 0.6, 0.0, 1)","fill":"both"}] Learn more