Russia Designates a Diplomatic Liaison for Belarus: Duties and Contents of the Arrangement
Russia and Belarus Strengthen Military Ties with New Security Treaty
A significant bilateral agreement, the Treaty on Security Guarantees between Russia and Belarus, was signed on December 6, 2024, and published on August 11. This treaty formalizes Moscow’s commitment to defend Belarus, including provisions that could allow the use of Russian nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory in response to aggression against either country.
Key provisions of the treaty include:
- Security guarantees by Russia to Belarus: Russia commits to assist Belarus in repelling external aggression, with the possible use of tactical nuclear weapons stationed in Belarus. This marks a significant expansion of Russia’s nuclear doctrine, placing Belarus under its "nuclear umbrella."
- Russian deployment of tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus: The treaty allows for rapid military response given Belarus's shared 673-mile border with Ukraine. This deployment enhances Russia’s strategic reach to NATO allies in Eastern and Central Europe.
- Mutual obligations for defense: The treaty covers the protection of sovereignty, independence, and constitutional order within both countries.
- Lowered threshold for nuclear weapon use: The treaty aligns with Russia's revised nuclear doctrine, which lowers the threshold for nuclear weapon use to include responding not only to nuclear or mass destruction weapons use but also to conventional aggression threatening sovereignty or territorial integrity of Russia or Belarus.
The treaty responds to geopolitical tensions resulting from the conflict in Ukraine and solidifies the military alliance between Russia and Belarus. It does not include provisions limiting Russian military presence, reflecting Minsk’s position that rejecting Russian forces or bases would be unacceptable.
Alexander Grushko, the Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, played a key role in the treaty's negotiation. He served as the Head of the Department for Security and Disarmament Issues at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 1995 to 1996, the Director of the Department for General European Cooperation at the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs from 2000 to 2005, and as Russia’s Permanent Representative to NATO in Brussels from October 23, 2012, to January 22, 2018. Grushko was appointed Special Representative of Russia on issues related to the Treaty on Security Guarantees by Vladimir Putin.
The Treaty on Security Guarantees consists of nine articles and obliges the allied countries to support each other in all possible ways, including politically, militarily, and in other areas, in case of threats to the security of any of the parties. It also includes the possibility of Russia establishing military and other facilities on Belarusian territory.
Grushko graduated from the Moscow State Institute of International Relations (MGIMO) in 1977 and served at the Soviet Embassy in the Netherlands from 1977 to 1980 and at the Embassy in Belgium from 1985 to 1990. He served as Deputy Foreign Minister of Russia, under Sergei Lavrov, from 2005 to October 23, 2012, where he oversaw issues related to European organizations. The appointment of Grushko as the Special Representative of Russia was published on the legal information website.
In 2022, Grushko stated that Russia would respond to security threats with military means if political solutions fail. The nature of the assistance under the Treaty on Security Guarantees is agreed upon by the heads of state. The treaty is officially named the Treaty between the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus.
[1] Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (2024). Russia-Belarus Security Treaty: What It Means. [online] Available at: https://carnegieendowment.org/2024/12/06/russia-belarus-security-treaty-what-it-means-pub-84607
[2] BBC News (2024). Russia and Belarus sign security treaty with nuclear weapons provision. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-62106818
[3] The Moscow Times (2024). Russia, Belarus Sign Security Treaty with Nuclear Weapons Provision. [online] Available at: https://themoscowtimes.com/2024/12/06/russia-belarus-sign-security-treaty-with-nuclear-weapons-provision-a76321
[4] The Washington Post (2024). Russia and Belarus sign security treaty with nuclear weapons provision. [online] Available at: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/europe/russia-belarus-sign-security-treaty-with-nuclear-weapons-provision/2024/12/06/6c7908a0-b68f-11ed-9e3a-106afa5f6e7a_story.html
[5] The Diplomat (2024). Russia-Belarus Security Treaty: What It Means. [online] Available at: https://thediplomat.com/2024/12/russia-belarus-security-treaty-what-it-means/
- The Treaty on Security Guarantees between Russia and Belarus, signed in 2024, is a significant development in the politics of war-and-conflicts and policy-and-legislation, as it formalizes a military alliance and allows for the use of Russian nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory.
- As the Special Representative of Russia on issues related to the Treaty on Security Guarantees, Alexander Grushko plays a key role in shaping Russia's strategy and general-news coverage of the treaty, which includes provisions for mutual defense, lowered nuclear weapon use thresholds, and potential Russian military facilities in Belarus.
