Russian President Vladimir Putin said he plans to move nuclear weapons in to Belarus as a warning to the West as it increases support for Ukraine.

Putin said on state television Saturday that the move was a response to Britain’s decision last week to send armor-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium, which Russia falsely claimed had nuclear components.

The Russian president said he would maintain control over the nuclear weapons stationed in Belarus and storage facilities for them would be constructed by July 1.

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, who has long been asking for the weapons, claimed Putin, who insisted that Russia would not be violating international nuclear obligations.

Putin added that the United States has previously deployed its nuclear weapons on its NATO allies’ territory.

Belarus, which borders three NATO countries — Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland — has been used by Russia since the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.

Putin said that Moscow helped Belarus modernize its fleet of military aircraft last year to make them capable of carrying nuclear warheads and 10 planes are currently available to do so.