Belarus 'ready' for military cooperation and dialogue with all countries, including NATO members

By Elena Teslova

MOSCOW (AA) - The Belarusian defense minister said on Friday that Minsk is open to military cooperation with any state, including NATO members.

Presenting the new Belarusian military doctrine for the press in the capital, Viktor Khrenin said the document required updating due to geopolitical shifts, notably the escalation of the West-East confrontation into a "hot phase."

"An important message of the new Military Doctrine is that the Republic of Belarus does not treat any nation as its enemy, regardless of the actions of the governments of these states. Including with the NATO states, we are ready to resume a pragmatic dialogue, provided they stop their aggressive rhetoric and actions against us," he said.

According to the minister, the new military doctrine reflects Minsk's commitment to bolster international organizations such as the UN for preventing and resolving armed conflicts.

Among the challenges mentioned in the doctrine, Khrenin named "the possibility of opponents using military force against Belarus in peacetime."

"This is what we are currently facing on our southern and western borders. Of course, provocations, armed actions and incidents on the part of our neighbors do not constitute a military conflict in themselves. But it is necessary to respond to them. And first of all, by measures of strategic deterrence," he emphasized.

The Belarusian military leadership also changed the types of military conflicts, instead of "local and regional," the new doctrine considers "interstate and coalition wars."

A separate chapter stipulates Minsk's actions in case of aggression against Russia and the Collective Security Treaty Organization, a military bloc consisting of several former Soviet states.

Deployment of nuclear weapons on Belarus' territory is "an important component of preventive deterrence of potential opponents from unleashing armed aggression against Belarus," he said. "In general, in our opinion, the document turned out to be balanced and verified. It complies with our Constitution and the international obligations assumed by the Republic of Belarus."

Russia and Belarus are formally part of a union state and have been in talks for years to move closer together, a process that has accelerated in recent years.

Belarus, a former Soviet republic, shares border with Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, all members of NATO, as well as with Ukraine and Russia. It has supported Moscow in its “special military operation” against Kyiv.