Russian President Vladimir Putin signed a pact with close ally Belarus on Friday that includes the possible use of Russian nuclear weapons.
What Does the Pact Say?
Putin signed the treaty offering security guarantees for Belarus during a visit to the eastern European country on Friday. Speaking alongside Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Putin highlighted the part of the pact that allows the potential use of Russian nuclear warheads deployed to Belarus in response to an aggression.
"I'm sure that the treaty will ensure the security of Russia and Belarus," Putin said on TV.
The treaty signing comes after Putin updated Russia's nuclear doctrine, lowering the threshold for Moscow to use its enormous nuclear weapons stockpile. The new doctrine allows for a potential nuclear response by Russia even to a conventional attack by any country that is supported by a nuclear power.
Putin approved the nuclear weapons update days after Biden authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied missiles deeper inside Russia, granting a months-long request from Zelensky. The decision to allow Ukraine to use the Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMs) farther into Russian territory came amid the deployment of North Korean troops in Russia.
Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, Lukashenko's opposition leader-in-exile, condemned the pact as part of Russia's efforts to tighten control over Belarus.
"Putin's visit to Minsk isn't about security, it's about Russia tightening control over our country," she said. "The deployment of new weapons and using Belarus as a pawn in his imperial ambitions threatens us all."
Belarus Asks for Oreshnik Missiles
After the treaty was signed by both presidents, Lukashenko asked Putin to deploy new weapons in Belarus.
"I would like to publicly ask you to deploy new weapons systems, primarily Oreshnik, to Belarus," Lukashenko said. "It will help calm some heads."
The Oreshnik intermediate range ballistic missile was used by Russia for the first time on November 21 against Ukraine. The missile struck a military-industrial facility in the central Ukrainian city of Dnipro. Putin said the strike was a response to recent Ukrainian strikes on Russian military facilities in the Bryansk and Kursk regions along Ukraine's Northern border using Western-supplied weapons.
"Modern air defense systems that exist in the world and anti-missile defenses created by the Americans in Europe can't intercept such missiles," Putin said of the Oreshnik missiles in a TV appearance after the strike.
Putin told Lukashenko that Oreshnik missiles could be deployed to Belarus in the second half of 2025. He added that the missiles will remain under Russian control but Moscow will allow Belarus to select which targets to hit with the weapons.
Russia's Ties to Belarus
Belarus shares borders with Ukraine to the south and Russia to the east.
Belarus and Ukraine have longstanding cultural and historic ties with many in southern Belarus having relatives across the southern border. But, Lukashenko, who has been in power for over 30 years, has relied on Russia's subsidies and support.
Lukashenko allowed Russia to use his country's territory to invade Ukraine in February 2022 and has let Moscow deploy some of its tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
English (US) ·