MOSCOW, February 28. /TASS/. Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law on ratification of the treaty with Belarus on security guarantees within the Union State, signed in Minsk on December 6, 2024; the document has been made public.
Putin submitted the document to the State Duma for ratification on February 5 this year. Under this agreement, Russia and Belarus pledge to support each other through all mutually agreed and internationally permitted means. They also commit to taking appropriate political, military, and other measures in response to any threats to the security of either country or the Union State as a whole.
Certain provisions of the treaty address Russia's nuclear weapons, emphasizing their role as a key deterrent against military conflicts, including nuclear ones. The treaty views Russian nuclear stockpiles as a means of containment, with their use reserved as a last resort and a necessary measure. The document specifies that Russian nuclear weapons may be deployed in retaliation against the use of nuclear or other weapons of mass destruction against Russia or Belarus. Additionally, they may be used in response to aggression against either party if such aggression poses a critical threat to their sovereignty or territorial integrity.