2024-01-20 05:59:54
(CNN) — Belarus adopted a new military doctrine on Friday that, if approved, would be the first step towards the deployment of nuclear weapons throughout the country.
“The deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of the Republic of Belarus is considered an important measure of preventive deterrence so that potential adversaries do not unleash armed aggression against the Republic of Belarus,” Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said on Friday. , in an information session.
Belarus has been “forced” to implement this measure, he added.
According to Khrenin, “a separate chapter was created” to describe the course of actions “in case of armed aggression” against Belarus’ allies in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Union Treaty.
The CSTO is a group of six post-Soviet states dominated by Russia that, like NATO, requires its members to help each other in the event of an attack.
The six countries that make up the alliance, formed in 2002, are Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Belarus.
The Treaty of the Union of States of Belarus and Russia lays the legal foundations for a broad alliance between both countries.
Khrenin stressed that the new doctrine demonstrates that Belarus “does not treat any nation as its enemy, regardless of the actions of the governments of these nations.”
The doctrine still requires the approval of the People’s Assembly of Belarus, a representative body that operates parallel to Parliament, which will be held in April, according to the Russian state media RIA Novosti.
Khrenin stated that his government’s interest lies in “restoring the influence of international security organizations such as the UN, OSCE and others, and their effective functioning in the prevention and resolution of armed conflicts.”
Belarus “is open to cooperation in the military sphere with any country, including NATO states,” he said, “as long as its aggressive rhetoric against Belarus is ended.”
Minsk has played a key role in Russia’s war in Ukraine. Last June, the delivery of Russian nuclear warheads to Belarus for “deterrent” purposes was reported, according to President Vladimir Putin.
Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko attend a meeting May 25 in Moscow, Russia. (Credit: Contributor/Getty Images)
Two months later, while stressing that his country would not get involved in war, President Alexander Lukashenko warned that it would “respond immediately” with everything they had, including nuclear weapons, in case of provocation, especially by neighboring countries. such as Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.
Baltic countries reinforce their borders
The measure taken by Belarus came as neighboring Baltic countries signed an agreement to reinforce their borders with Belarus and Russia.
Experts have previously told CNN that these countries could be at risk of invasion by Belarusian ally Russia if it managed to isolate them from NATO allies as part of Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.
In a statement on Friday, the Estonian Defense Ministry said the country had signed an agreement with Latvia and Lithuania to “build anti-movement defensive facilities” on the borders with Russia and Belarus that will “deter and, if necessary, defend against military threats.” ” in the next years.
The ministry called it a “carefully studied and thought-out project, the need for which arises from the current security situation.”
The concept of defensive installations includes “prevention and security measures on the ground”, such as “a network of bunkers, support points and distribution lines.”
“Russia’s war in Ukraine has shown that, in addition to equipment, ammunition and manpower, physical defensive facilities on the border are also needed to defend Estonia from the first meter,” stated Hanno Pevkur, Estonian Defense Minister.
The defense ministers of both countries also signed “a Letter of Intent on HIMARS multiple rocket launchers, with the aim of creating a framework for the joint use of the weapons system in both times of peace and war,” according to the statement.
During an interview with state news agency Belta in August last year, Lukashenko said his country had not “brought nuclear weapons to scare anyone.”
“Nuclear weapons represent a strong deterrent factor. But they are tactical nuclear weapons, not strategic ones. That is why we will use them immediately as soon as aggression is launched against us,” he added.
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