The United States has seen no evidence of Russia moving nuclear weapons to neighbouring Belarus or elsewhere.

Russian President Vladimir Putin announced during a TV interview on 25 March that Moscow and Minsk had reached an agreement on the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.

"We have not seen any indication that he's [Vladimir Putin – ed.] made good on this pledge or moved any nuclear weapons around," John Kirby, Coordinator for Strategic Communications at the National Security Council in the White House, noted on air during a broadcast by CBS.

According to Kirby, the United States has also seen no signs that Putin has any intention of using nuclear weapons against Ukraine.

Kirby emphasised that nothing has forced the United States to change its own position on nuclear deterrence.

"With the rhetoric coming out of Moscow, and with the rhetoric that's been coming out since the beginning of the war, we've seen nothing that would cause us to change our own strategic deterrent posture," said Kirby.

On Sunday, 26 March, the North Atlantic Alliance criticised Russia's dangerous and irresponsible nuclear rhetoric, adding that it was monitoring the situation.

Also on Sunday, Ukraine's Foreign Ministry called for an immediate meeting of the UN Security Council in the wake of Putin's comments.

EU Diplomacy Chief Josep Borrell announced that the EU was ready to respond to the actions of Russia and Belarus with further sanctions.