The Belarusian leader, Alexander Lukashenko, told Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu that Minsk requires clear security guarantees in the event of an attack on Belarus. The discussion, reported by BelTA, also touched on Lukashenko’s conversations with President Vladimir Putin about the issue.
“In general, the talks suggested that if Belarus is attacked, the Russian Federation would defend its territory. These are the guarantees we need,” Lukashenko said.
Putin, according to Lukashenko, supported the idea from all sides and proposed reexamining interstate agreements to decide which normative legal act should be adopted to ensure Belarus’s full security.
Lukashenko noted that Western countries had “trapped” the Budapest Memorandum and the related agreements, leaving security in question. He also pointed to concerns about economic security, asking what level of economic security could exist if sanctions were imposed on Belarus and Russia.
The Budapest Memorandum, signed on 5 December 1994 by the United Kingdom, Russia, the United States, and Ukraine, provided security guarantees for Ukraine in exchange for Kyiv giving up nuclear weapons. Separate accords were agreed with Belarus and Kazakhstan, offering guarantees of security, sovereignty, and the removal of nuclear weapons in exchange for their compliance.
In October 2022, Lukashenko criticized Western nations for failing to fulfill their roles as global regulators and guarantors of stability.
During the same discussions with Shoigu, Lukashenko and his Russian counterpart also reviewed the coordination and training of the joint allied troop group. He noted that Polish and Lithuanian movements toward Belarus require strong support for the Belarusian army, which safeguards the Union State on its western flank.
Shoigu indicated that the questions under consideration would address the future presence, training, and potential expansion of the areas previously discussed with Vladimir Putin.
Lukashenko’s public address
On March 31, Lukashenko addressed the nation, stating Belarus’s readiness to host not only tactical nuclear weapons but also strategic nuclear arms, including intercontinental ballistic missiles. He said areas that previously housed Topol missile systems would be restored and that the country would maintain sovereignty with the nuclear arsenal as a key instrument of independence.
Putin announced on March 25 that Russian tactical nuclear weapons would be deployed in Belarus, with the construction of a storage facility slated for completion by July 1. The storage would be under Russian military control while located on Belarusian soil.
Negotiations in Moscow
Lukashenko arrived in Moscow on April 5 for talks with the Russian leadership. The two presidents participated in a Kremlin meeting and attended a session of the Supreme State Council of the Union. Reports from Lukashenko’s press circle and subsequent confirmation from the Kremlin described discussions of the most sensitive issues in the presidential office. The initial day of talks focused on the implementation of the union’s road maps, with Lukashenko stating that roughly 80 percent of the 28 joint sectoral programs had advanced, and trade and countermeasures were examined.
Lukashenko remarked on the temporary practicality of the situation, noting that missiles were present and military equipment moved between locations. He reflected on past hardships, comparing them to a harvest boom in the present, and suggested that similar progress could be achieved in industry.
Following the Supreme State Council meeting, the parties announced the creation of an interstate security concept to guide cooperation and address external challenges. Putin indicated that the document would outline the main tasks for interaction between the two states and reflect external risks and responses.