🇷🇺 🇧🇾 Opening address by Russian Defence Minister at meeting of Joint Collegium of defence ministries of Belarus and Russia
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To begin with, I would like to thank the Belarusian party for its traditional welcome and hospitality.
Today we continue to actively strengthen the military cooperation of our countries. This is especially important amid overt pressure from the collective West and NATO hostile activity near the borders of the Union State.
This year, the NATO member states conducted a series of the largest exercises since the Cold War, to practise scenarios of a full-scale conflict with Russia and its allies. The coalition forces of the Alliance are being built up. Combat training and reconnaissance activities are also intensified.
The growing involvement of the West in the conflict in Ukraine creates global risks. The desire to inflict maximum damage on Russia can lead to direct military clash between the nuclear powers. We cannot but respond to these threats.
The changes in the military and political situation made it necessary to specify the basics of the State policy of the Russian Federation in the field of nuclear deterrence and to adjust them to the new reality. Among other things, it is possible to use nuclear weapons in response to the aggression against Belarus as a member of the Union State.
The Treaty between the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation on Military Security Guarantees and new Security Concept for Russia and Belarus are currently being completed.
We continue to form of a common defence space with Belarus. We are improving cooperation on the joint use of armed forces to ensure the military security of our union.
WtR