China urges diplomatic efforts as Russia plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus

China on Monday called for “diplomatic efforts” toward a peaceful solution to the Ukraine crisis after Russia announced its plans to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, Report informs via Anadolu.

“In the current situation, relevant parties should focus on diplomatic efforts toward a peaceful solution to the Ukraine crisis and push together for an end to tensions,” Mao Ning, spokeswoman for China’s Foreign Ministry, told reporters in Beijing.

In a move certain to stoke tensions in war-torn Ukraine and its Western allies, Russia will complete the construction of a special storage facility for tactical nuclear weapons in neighboring Belarus, according to remarks made last Saturday by Russian President Vladimir Putin.

Russia has already handed over to Belarus the Iskander complex, which can store nuclear weapons, Putin said.

However, Mao recalled that the five nuclear-weapon states issued a joint statement in January 2022 on preventing nuclear war, the Chinese daily Global Times reported.