 "Russia's President Vladimir Putin with Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko. Reuters File")
The Federation Council, the upper house of Russia’s parliament, has approved a law ratifying the Russia-Belarus Union State Treaty on Security Guarantees, which was signed in Minsk on December 6, 2024.
According to Russian news agency TASS, Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted the document for ratification.
As per the treaty, both parties commit to supporting each other using all methods and means allowed under international law, taking appropriate actions in political, military, and other areas in response to threats against either party or the Union State as a whole.
Russia and Belarus will consider an armed attack on any member of the Union State as an act of aggression against the entire Union, prompting them to take appropriate retaliatory measures using all available forces and capabilities, reported TASS.
Moreover, the parties view Russian nuclear weapons as a crucial deterrent against the outbreak of nuclear military conflicts or conventional warfare, intended for use only as a last resort.
According to the TASS report, citing the document, Russia’s nuclear weapons may be deployed in response to the use of nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction against any party to the treaty.
They can also be utilised in response to aggression involving conventional weapons that poses a critical threat to the sovereignty or territorial integrity of either party. Decisions regarding the use of Russian nuclear weapons stationed in Belarus for its defence will be made according to procedures established by the parties, added the report.
With inputs from agencies