Head of militia that threatened Moscow continues to criticize Russian military, saying his troops are in Belarus prior to departing to Africa

Alexander Lukashenko stresses that imminent deployment of tactical nuclear weapons to his country came at his request, claims he'd have 'no hesitation' to launch them

Belarusian opposition decries move as an attempt to blackmail the West as Ukraine steps up offensive

Lukashenko and Putin recently announced deal to transfer Russian nuclear warheads to neighbor's territory

Immigration Ministry will maintain fast-tracked program for Ukrainians and special cases, but says it wants to focus on absorbing the massive wave of people who arrived last year

The country, ruled with an iron fist by President Alexander Lukashenko, borders both Ukraine and Russia; it allowed Moscow to use its territory to launch attacks on Ukraine

Alexander Lukashenko, whose country has served as staging ground for Russia's intervention, acknowledges authoritarian nature of his rule, but insists he isn't a 'dictator'