Vladimir Putin's announcement over the weekend that Russia will deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus marked a further escalation of potentially cataclysmic tensions over the war in neighboring Ukraine. As the Associated Press reported, "Putin said the move was triggered by Britain's decision this past week to provide Ukraine with armor-piercing rounds containing depleted uranium."
There's always an excuse for nuclear madness, and the United States has certainly provided ample rationales for the Russian leader's current display. American nuclear warheads have been deployed in Europe since the mid-1950s, and current best estimates say 100 are there right now — in Belgium, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands and Turkey.
