MOSCOW, January 13. /TASS/. The use of force by Kiev against Russia or Belarus or a Ukrainian invasion of either of the two Union countries would be enough to trigger a collective response, a senior Russian diplomat told TASS.
Commenting on potential scenarios of having Belarus involved in the conflict in Ukraine, Director of the Russian Foreign Ministry’s Second CIS Department Alexey Polishchuk referred to the latest military doctrine of the Union State under which the use of force against either of the two Union members would be viewed as an attack on the entire Union State and said there were similar commitments on mutual support in the event of any foreign aggression against the CSTO.
"In other words, from a legal perspective, any use of force by the Kiev regime or a Ukrainian military invasion of either Belarus or Russia would be enough to trigger a collective response," Polishchuk stressed. "However, it would be up to the two countries’ political and military leadership to decide whether to respond and in what way. The advisability of the use of the Union forces and the adequacy of a joint response to the threats posed in a specific situation will be key," he assured.
According to Polishchuk, apart from taking part in a military operation, other formats of support within the Union exist, primarily military and technical cooperation which, he said, was the most advanced between Moscow and Minsk.
"Our countries supply weapons and components for the production of military hardware to each other, cooperate in border protection issues, and enhance the combat capability of the common Russian-Belarusian air defense system. Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has repeatedly warned his country would retaliate in the event of a Ukrainian attack on Belarus or any other provocation. The republic has the sovereign right to defend its territory through all means available and Minsk can count on Russia’s full support here," the diplomat explained.