Russia provoked outrage with its plan to station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.
Russian President Vladimir Putin said Saturday that a deal had been struck with his ally Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko to station tactical nukes on Belarusian territory. He added that Russia had already moved 10 aircraft to the country that are capable of carrying tactical nuclear weapons.
A NATO spokesperson described Russia's nuclear rhetoric as "dangerous and irresponsible." The EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell urged Belarus not to host the weapons, saying that doing so "would mean an irresponsible escalation and threat to European security." He also warned of sanctions against Minsk.
Meanwhile, in Ukraine, fighting rages in Donetsk. One Ukrainian official likened the destruction seen in Avdiivka, a town to the southwest of besieged Bakhmut, to scenes from a "post-apocalyptic" movie. Utility workers were evacuated from Avdiivka as fighting intensified at the weekend.