MOSCOW, 18 February (BelTA) - The Russian nuclear umbrella covers both Belarus and Russia, Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Grushko said at a plenary session in the Russian State Duma as he presented the treaty on security guarantees within the Union State between Russia and Belarus on 18 February, BelTA has learned.
"This treaty is unique because it stipulates security nuclear guarantees that Russia provides to Belarus in accordance with the new edition of the Fundamentals of State Policy of the Russian Federation on Nuclear Deterrence. According to the decisions taken by the Russian Supreme Commander-in-Chief, taking into account the wishes of the Belarusian side, the Russian 'nuclear umbrella' now ensures the protection of Belarus in the same framework scenarios in which Russia allows a nuclear response for its own defense, namely in repelling an attack with the use of weapons of mass destruction or aggression with the use of conventional weapons, but which poses a critical threat to the sovereignty or territorial integrity of the state," Alexander Grushko stressed.
"Such assistance in strengthening the defense capabilities of our ally is more than justified amid the increasing NATO strike potential along the western borders of the Union State. This prompts Russia and Belarus to step up cooperation in order to ensure the protection of the common defense space. The relevant decisions, implemented in the process of updating the legislation and now enshrined in international legal form as the interstate treaty with Belarus, reinforces the steps taken earlier by our countries to build bilateral military-nuclear cooperation, including the deployment of Russian non-strategic nuclear weapons on the Belarusian soil," Alexander Grushko said.
"This treaty is unique because it stipulates security nuclear guarantees that Russia provides to Belarus in accordance with the new edition of the Fundamentals of State Policy of the Russian Federation on Nuclear Deterrence. According to the decisions taken by the Russian Supreme Commander-in-Chief, taking into account the wishes of the Belarusian side, the Russian 'nuclear umbrella' now ensures the protection of Belarus in the same framework scenarios in which Russia allows a nuclear response for its own defense, namely in repelling an attack with the use of weapons of mass destruction or aggression with the use of conventional weapons, but which poses a critical threat to the sovereignty or territorial integrity of the state," Alexander Grushko stressed.
"Such assistance in strengthening the defense capabilities of our ally is more than justified amid the increasing NATO strike potential along the western borders of the Union State. This prompts Russia and Belarus to step up cooperation in order to ensure the protection of the common defense space. The relevant decisions, implemented in the process of updating the legislation and now enshrined in international legal form as the interstate treaty with Belarus, reinforces the steps taken earlier by our countries to build bilateral military-nuclear cooperation, including the deployment of Russian non-strategic nuclear weapons on the Belarusian soil," Alexander Grushko said.
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