Russia’s State Duma to consider ratifying security treaty with Belarus on February 18

MOSCOW: State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin announced that MPs will examine the ratification of the Russian-Belarusian security guarantee ...

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MOSCOW: State Duma Speaker Vyacheslav Volodin announced that MPs will examine the ratification of the Russian-Belarusian security guarantee treaty at a plenary session on February 18.

"Members of parliament will review at a plenary session on February 18 the ratification of the treaty on security guarantees within the Union State between Russia and the Republic of Belarus," he said after a meeting of the State Duma Council, according to the statement published on the Duma’s website.

According to the speaker, the MPs’ objective is to implement the decisions made at the level of the Union State’s heads. "Amid today's challenges, security issues within the framework of the common defense space are of pivotal importance. Our goal is to protect the citizens of Russia and Belarus and our territories from threats and provocations coming primarily from the bordering European Union states," he emphasized.

Russian-Belarusian treaty

On February 5, Russian President Vladimir Putin submitted to the State Duma (the lower chamber of Russia’s parliament) a treaty with Belarus on security guarantees within the Union State, originally signed in the city of Minsk on December 6, 2024, for approval. According to the treaty, Russian nuclear weapons may be used in response to the use of nuclear weapons or other weapons of mass destruction against Russia or Belarus, "as well as in the case of aggression against one of the parties with the use of conventional weapons, creating a critical threat to its sovereignty or territorial integrity."

In addition, the parties consider an armed attack on a member of the Union State as an act of aggression against the Union State as a whole and will take appropriate retaliatory measures using all forces and means at their disposal. In particular, in the event of aggression against one of the countries, the second country of the Union State shall, upon official request and after consultations between the presidents, immediately provide the necessary military, military-technical and other assistance.

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