Russian nuclear sites possible in Belarus - envoy

MINSK (Reuters) - Russia may consider deploying new nuclear facilities in Belarus in response to a U.S. plan to operate a missile shield in eastern Europe, Russia's ambassador in Minsk was quoted as saying on Monday.

Belarus, an ex-Soviet state 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.

Lukashenko, a fierce opponent of U.S. foreign policy, has periodically suggested he might take retaliatory measures in conjunction with the Kremlin against the planned shield.

"This depends on the level of our political integration," ambassador Alexander Surikov told Interfax Zapad news agency.

"It also depends on the views of experts, diplomats and the military. Is it necessary and possible, when and how? I am talking about sites linked to nuclear weapons."

Belarus's Foreign Ministry noted that the country already hosted Russian military facilities, but officials in Minsk and Moscow had so far held no discussions on a nuclear deployment.

"Time will tell whether such a discussion will actually take place," ministry spokeswoman Maria Vanshina said.

A leader of the liberal and nationalist opposition suggested the ambassador's statement was no more than a bargaining chip in talks between Moscow and Washington. He said Belarussians, the people most affected by the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster, would not tolerate such a nuclear deployment.