Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Belarus on Friday to sign a treaty offering security guarantees to Moscow's closest ally. The treaty comes in the wake of the publication of a revised version of Russia's nuclear doctrine, which now includes Belarus under the Russian nuclear umbrella amidst heightened tensions between Moscow and the West due to the Ukrainian conflict.
During the signing ceremony with Belarus' President Alexander Lukashenko, Putin highlighted that the new treaty allows for the potential use of Russian tactical nuclear weapons deployed to Belarus in response to any aggression. Putin expressed confidence that the treaty would enhance the security of both Russia and Belarus.
The updated Russian nuclear doctrine, endorsed by Putin recently, has formally reduced the threshold for Russia's use of nuclear weapons. This shift follows U.S. President Joe Biden's decision to permit Ukraine to target sites within Russian territory using American-supplied longer-range missiles.
According to the revised doctrine, Moscow reserves the right to employ nuclear weapons in retaliation to the use of nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction against Russia or its allies. Additionally, nuclear weapons could be used in response to aggression against Russia and Belarus with conventional weapons that pose a threat to their sovereignty and territorial integrity.
Lukashenko, who has governed Belarus with a firm grip for over three decades and has relied on Russian assistance and subsidies, granted permission for Russia to utilize Belarusian territory to send troops into Ukraine in February 2022. Furthermore, Belarus has allowed for the deployment of some of Russia's tactical nuclear weapons within its borders.
