Russia may consider deploying new nuclear facilities in Belarus in response to a US plan to operate a missile shield in eastern Europe, Russia's ambassador to Minsk was quoted as saying on Monday.
Ex-Soviet Belarus, led by President Alexander Lukashenko, is accused in the West of crushing basic rights. It has planned some form of integration with Russia since the mid-1990s, although proposals to create a "union state" have stalled as relations have cooled in recent years, particularly over price rises for Russian energy. (Reuters)