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A recently signed mutual defense pact with Russia will ensure Belarus’ “absolute security,” Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said, invoking the country’s alliance with nuclear-armed Russia as a deterrent against foreign aggression.
The pact signed by Moscow and Minsk in December formalizes the two countries' intention to enhance their joint defense posture within the framework of the Union State. The treaty outlines mutual commitments to repel external threats and coordinate military activities, consolidating a security framework that aligns Belarus more closely with Russia.
“Absolute security, no one will go to war with a nuclear country,” Lukashenko said in an interview with the Mir broadcaster when asked about the treaty’s benefits for Belarus.
He added: “No matter how much somebody might want to wipe North Korea off the face of the earth, it won’t happen; it’s a nuclear state. It’s the same with Belarus.”
Lukashenko claimed that neighboring countries have changed their behavior following the new treaty.
“The Poles, the Baltic countries and so on had their own plans, but now they are quiet,” he said. “I follow their statements, I receive reports — they are being cautious now.”
Belarus and Russia in 1999 signed a “Union State” deal aimed at guaranteeing the free flow of labor, capital and goods. It has in recent years expanded its focus to defense cooperation. The new treaty is seen as a further step in institutionalizing that collaboration amid heightened tensions with NATO member states bordering Belarus due to the full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
Belarus, Russia’s closest ally, allowed Russian troops to use its territory as a staging ground for the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022.
The Kremlin has not issued a detailed statement on the treaty’s operational provisions. However, Russian officials have previously underscored their commitment to defend Belarus under the Union State framework in the event of external aggression.
This is an abridged and adapted version of an article that first appeared in bne IntelliNews.
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