Russia’s ally Belarus has adopted a new military doctrine that includes nuclear weapons.

(CNN) — Belarus adopted a new military doctrine on Friday that, if approved, would be the first step towards the deployment of nuclear weapons throughout the country.

“The deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of the Republic of Belarus is considered an important measure of preventive deterrence so that potential adversaries do not unleash armed aggression against the Republic of Belarus,” Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said on Friday. An information session.

He said Belarus has been “forced” to implement the measure.

According to Khrenin, “a separate chapter was created” to describe actions “in case of armed aggression” against Belarus’s allies in the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) and the Union Treaty.

The CSTO is a grouping of six post-Soviet states dominated by Russia that, like NATO, requires its members to help each other in the event of attack.

The six countries included in the alliance, formed in 2002, are Russia, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Belarus.

The Treaty of Union of the States of Belarus and Russia lays the legal foundation for a comprehensive alliance between the two countries.

Khrenin stressed that the new doctrine shows that Belarus “does not consider any country its enemy, regardless of the actions of the governments of these countries.”

According to Russian state media RIA Novosti, the principle still requires the approval of the People’s Assembly of Belarus, a representative body operating parallel to parliament, which will convene in April.

Khrenin said his government is interested in “restoring the influence of international security organizations such as the UN, the OSCE and others and their effective functioning in the prevention and resolution of armed conflicts.”

“Belarus is open to cooperation in the military field with any country, including NATO countries,” he said, “as long as it ends its aggressive rhetoric against Belarus.”

Minsk has played an important role in Russia’s war in Ukraine. Last June, deliveries of Russian nuclear weapons to Belarus were reported for “deterrent” purposes, according to President Vladimir Putin.

Two months later, while insisting that his country would not get involved in the war, President Alexander Lukashenko warned that in the event of provocation, especially by neighboring countries, it would respond “immediately with everything at its disposal, including nuclear weapons.” ” will be given. Like Poland, Lithuania and Latvia.

Baltic countries reinforce their borders

The move by Belarus came as the neighboring Baltic countries signed an agreement with Belarus and Russia to strengthen their borders.

Experts previously told CNN that these countries could be at risk of invasion by Belarusian ally Russia if Russia manages to isolate them from NATO allies as part of Russia’s ongoing war in Ukraine.

In a statement on Friday, the Estonian Defense Ministry said the country had signed an agreement with Latvia and Lithuania to “build anti-movement defensive facilities” on the borders with Russia and Belarus, which would “prevent military threats.” Will stop and, if necessary, defend.” .” “In the next years.

The ministry called it a “carefully studied and deliberated project, the need for which arises from the current security situation.”

The concept of defensive installations includes “containment and security measures on the ground”, such as “a network of bunkers, support points and distribution lines.”

Estonian Defense Minister Hanno Pevkur said, “Russia’s war in Ukraine has shown that in addition to equipment, ammunition and manpower, physical defensive facilities on the border are also needed to defend Estonia.”

According to the statement, the defense ministers of the two countries signed “a letter of intent on HIMARS Multiple Rocket Launcher with the aim of creating a framework for joint use of the weapon system in both peace and war.”

During an interview with state news agency Belta in August last year, Lukashenko said his country “did not bring nuclear weapons to scare anyone.”

He said, “Nuclear weapons represent a strong deterrent factor. But they are tactical nuclear weapons, not strategic. That is why we will use them immediately as soon as aggression is launched against us.”