MOSCOW — On Friday, President Vladimir Putin made a visit to Belarus where he finalized a treaty aimed at providing security guarantees to one of Moscow’s closest allies. This treaty signing comes in the wake of a revised nuclear doctrine from Russia, which for the first time explicitly places Belarus under the defensive umbrella of Russian nuclear capabilities, amidst ongoing tensions with the West stemming from the conflict in Ukraine.
During his visit alongside Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Putin highlighted that the new treaty contains provisions regarding the possible deployment of Russian tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus as a measure of defense against any acts of aggression. He expressed confidence that this treaty would bolster the security interests of both Russia and Belarus during a televised address.
The newly revised nuclear doctrine, which Putin had supported in the previous month, has effectively reduced the conditions under which Russia may deploy its nuclear arsenal. This shift is a direct response to U.S. President Joe Biden’s recent decision permitting Ukraine to target locations inside Russian territory utilizing American-supplied long-range missiles.
According to the updated doctrine, Russia reserves the right to deploy nuclear weapons in retaliation to any use of nuclear arms or other types of weapons of mass destruction against itself or its allies. Furthermore, it states that Moscow may also deploy nuclear weapons “in the event of aggression” faced by both Russia and Belarus through conventional weaponry that endangers “their sovereignty and/or territorial integrity.”
Lukashenko, who has maintained a tight grip on power in Belarus for over three decades and has relied heavily on Russian economic support, has permitted the deployment of Russian troops in Belarus since the onset of the Ukraine conflict in February 2022. Additionally, he has facilitated the positioning of some of Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons within Belarusian territory.
