A bill was adopted by the Lower House of the Belarusian Parliament on Wednesday, which paves the way for the ratification of a security treaty with Russia. According to the news agency RIA Novosti, the document aims to establish security guarantees within the framework of the Union State, established in 1999 between the two countries.
The bill still needs to be approved by the Upper House of the Belarusian Parliament and signed by President Alexander Lukashenko. The security treaty, signed by the presidents of Russia and Belarus in Minsk on December 1, 2024, considers a military attack on a member of the Union State as an act of aggression against the entire Union State.
According to the treaty, Russia could use nuclear weapons in response to the use of conventional weapons against Russia or Belarus, if such an action poses a threat to the sovereignty of the two countries.
Belarusian Vice Foreign Minister Yury Ambrasenok emphasized that the main goal of the agreement is to strengthen the national security of the Republic of Belarus. In a speech to the parliament on Wednesday, he stated: “The treaty deals with the increase of stability and security in the region, gives a clear priority to the peaceful settlement of all disputes, is purely defensive in nature, does not target the interests of a specific state and does not define anyone as an enemy or a threat.”
Belarus has recently faced challenges and threats, including military and hybrid forms of aggression, Ambrasenok added. Therefore, it was necessary to sign a treaty on security guarantees with Russia.
The current security situation on a global and regional scale is characterized by the deterioration of confidence-building measures and arms control, according to the vice foreign minister. This is partly due to the refusal of most Western neighbors of Belarus to fulfill their international obligations in the security sphere. The diplomat also accused Western countries of further developing their attack potential along the border with Belarus.