MOSCOW, November 21. /TASS/. The special services of Russia and Belarus are in constant contact on the issue of potential Western threats to Minsk, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.

"Belarus is indeed also facing an unfriendly environment, potential threats to its country," the spokesman said, noting that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has repeatedly spoken about it. "There are constant contacts on this issue through our special services, of course, this issue is constantly discussed at the highest level when the presidents of our two countries communicate," Peskov emphasized.

"We have obligations to ensure the security of our ally Belarus within the framework of the Union State, and these obligations are enshrined in the recently published Basic Principles of the State Policy of the Russian Federation on Nuclear Deterrence," the Kremlin spokesman pointed out.

This is how the spokesman commented on the words of Leonid Slutsky, chairman of the Russian State Duma Committee on International Affairs, who said that the West wants to open a second front in Belarus and create a new anti-Russian bridgehead there, as well as on the information of the Belarusian media about the details of the opposition's plan to invade the country.

Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin decreed to update the country’s nuclear doctrine, the Basic Principles of the State Policy of the Russian Federation on Nuclear Deterrence. The core principle remains the same: nuclear weapons are a last resort to ensure the protection of the country’s sovereignty. At the same time, parameters have been added that allow the use of nuclear weapons in case of new military threats and risks for Russia. In particular, the document expanded the category of countries and military alliances that would be subject to nuclear deterrence. For example, the aggression of any non-nuclear state acting with the participation or support of a nuclear state will be considered a joint attack on Russia. In addition, the document expands the list of military threats that require such actions. Russia can respond with nuclear force if it perceives a critical threat to its sovereignty even with an ordinary weapon, as well as in case of an attack on Belarus as a member of the Union State, in case of receiving credible information about a massive attack of a group of military jets, cruise missiles, drones and other UAVs crossing the Russian state border.