Russia's plans to deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus could complicate China's efforts to end Russia's war against Ukraine. At the same time, experts point out that in this case, risks arise in the field of nuclear proliferation..

The Hong Kong newspaper South China Morning Post writes about this, recalling that Washington does not see signs that indicate Moscow's intention to use nuclear weapons.. However, Vladimir's Saturday announcement may be a signal of dissatisfaction with the military assistance that the US and NATO countries provide to Ukraine..

The publication notes that Putin made his announcement after on Tuesday, in a joint statement with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, he promised not to send nuclear weapons abroad..

“All nuclear states should refrain from deploying nuclear weapons outside their territories, and they should also withdraw what is currently deployed abroad,” the leaders of Russia and China said in a joint statement..

Zhou Chenming, a researcher at the Wang Yuan Military Science and Technology Institute, believes that Moscow's decision on nuclear weapons in Belarus will exacerbate tensions between it and the West, as well as complicate efforts to advance peace talks..

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South China Morning Post reminds that the US and some of its allies rejected China's peace initiative. Because Beijing refused to condemn the invasion of Ukraine or call on Moscow to withdraw troops from Ukrainian territory.. Putin praised China's peace plan but showed no signs of being ready to halt Russian military operations in the neighboring country. Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky, who has not spoken to Xi Jinping since the start of the Russian invasion last year, explained that the Ukrainian army will continue fighting until the Russian army leaves.. Zhou Chenming stressed that despite the rapprochement between Russia and China, countries do not necessarily look at every strategic issue in the same way..

“We share Moscow’s concern that the US may try to derail peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, and we understand Putin’s strategic dilemma over Ukraine. But Russia is not completely open with China as we hoped,” he said..

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Zhou stressed that Putin's plans to deploy nuclear weapons in Belarus fall short of his commitments under the joint Sino-Russian communique that the Russian leader signed with Xi Jinping last week in Moscow..

Zhou Chenming and Yun Sun, director of the Chinese program at the Stimson Center in Washington, agree that the risk lies not so much in the use of nuclear weapons, but in the field of their spread..

“But Russia can say that the US has also placed its tactical nuclear weapons on allied territory,” said Yun Sun..