President Vladimir Putin has directed the signing of a security pact with Belarus, promising tightly guarded security guarantees, during an upcoming summit on Friday.
“The treaty is deemed appropriate for signing at the highest level,” stated Putin’s decree.
The summit in Minsk will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the “Union State” between Russia and Belarus, an agreement that envisions shared policies in defense, foreign affairs, a common legal framework, and potentially a joint currency.
Russian media reports suggest that Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko will formalize the security pact at the event. However, the details of the agreement remain undisclosed.
Notably, Putin recently signed a decree lowering the threshold for the use of nuclear weapons, extending Russia’s nuclear protection to Belarus. This development follows Belarus’s decision last year to host Russian tactical nuclear warheads on its soil. In 2023, the two nations also conducted joint tactical nuclear drills, further cementing their military cooperation.
Belarus, Russia’s closest ally, played a crucial role in the invasion of Ukraine in February 2022 by allowing Russian forces to launch their offensive from its territory.
