Powder Keg Europe: New Belarusian Military Doctrine to Provide For Use of Nuclear Weapons
Remember when the threat of nuclear war seemed to have faded away into the past with the other relics of the Cold War?
Those days are definitely over, and a NATO-Russia confrontation has jumped from the pages of fiction to the real-life geopolitical worries of the day.
One of the most worrying developments regarding the nuclear arsenals of the superpowers regards the placing by Russia’s Vladimir Putin, of tactical nuclear missiles in the territory of its neighbor and ally Belarus.
Now, Belarusians are codifying in their regulations when and how these weapons can be used, signaling that they are not there just for show.
ABC News reported:
“The defense minister of Belarus said Tuesday that the country closely allied with Russia will put forth a new military doctrine that for the first time provides for the use of nuclear weapons.
Russia last year sent tactical nuclear weapons to be stationed in Belarus, although there are no details about how many. Russia has said it will maintain control over those weapons, which are intended for battlefield use and have short ranges and comparatively low yields.”
It remains to be seen how the new doctrine might be applied to the Russian weapons.
The doctrine will need approval from the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly.
“’We clearly communicate Belarus’ views on the use of tactical nuclear weapons stationed on our territory’, Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said at a meeting of Belarus’ Security Council. ‘A new chapter has appeared, where we clearly define our allied obligations to our allies’.”
This move is in part a consequence from the war in Ukraine. Russia used Belarus to send its troops south into Ukraine during the initial invasion on February 2022, and has maintained military bases there.
Belarusian troops themselves have not taken part in the war.
But the tactical nuclear missiles are posted on Belarus mainly to deal with a NATO threat to Russia and Belarus.
Belarusian Security Council Secretary, Alexander Volfovich, said that the nuke deployment of in Belarus is intended to deter aggression from Poland, a NATO member.
“’Unfortunately, statements by our neighbors, in particular Poland … forced us to strengthen’ the military doctrine, he said.”
Read more:
Apocalypse Now? Russian Tactical Nuclear Weapons in Position in the Territory of Belarus
