Minsk and Moscow Have No Enemies, Says Belarusian Defense Ministry

Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin has stated that Minsk and Moscow have no enemies, but they share the interests of their peoples and mutual allied obligations. These messages are included in the draft of the updated military doctrine, as reported by RIA Novosti.

“I want to convey the position of the military department to those Western false analysts, speakers, and just extremists who have been silent for almost a week, giving various prognostic scenarios and assessments of the new military doctrine draft and the relations between the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation, including issues concerning the use of nuclear weapons. I once again declare to everyone: we have no enemies. In our policy, we are not going to look back or adapt to anyone. We have the interests of our peoples, and we have mutual allied obligations,” Khrenin stated.

During the January 16 meeting of the Belarusian Security Council, the draft of the new military doctrine was discussed, and it was decided to revise the document based on the discussions. The document will later be presented for approval at the All-Belarusian People's Assembly, which will take place in April.

Khrenin noted that the updated military doctrine clearly defines the countries from which threats emanate, the series of internal and external military security threats, the Republic's allied obligations, and its stance on the use of tactical nuclear weapons. Additionally, the classification of types of conflicts has been improved (divided into inter-state and inter-coalition) along with the means of response to these conflicts.

According to Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin, an important innovation in the new military doctrine is the adequacy of measures taken by the state in relation to the level of military danger. “The deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory is viewed as an important component of preventive deterrence against potential adversaries, aimed at preventing armed aggression against Belarus. This is our forced measure,” explained the head of the defense department.

Khrenin emphasized that the Belarusian authorities are taking adequate measures that correspond to the level of military danger. According to the new doctrine, the main direction of actions is to prevent the escalation of the situation and defuse tensions. The Belarusian side focuses on deterring the outbreak of armed confrontation, utilizing a system that prevents the emergence of disputes between countries. The Republic's authorities are interested in maintaining a balance of interests with other states to ensure stability and peaceful coexistence.