Lukashenko's nuclear button: Belarus asserts control
Alexander Lukashenko, like Vladimir Putin, has his own "red button" for nuclear weapons, stated the Secretary of the Security Council of Belarus, Alexander Volfovich. Russian warheads have been in the country for six months.
- Every president (of Belarus and Russia) has their own "red button," their own briefcase, their own nuclear suitcase - said Volfovich, quoted by the BelTA agency.
- Only the president of Belarus has the right to use weapons located on the territory of Belarus. And only the president of Russia has the right to use and issue commands regarding weapons located on the territory of Russia - he emphasised.
He stressed that Russia and Belarus are "brothers." - We have common national interests within the Union State, common goals - he said.
Nuclear weapons in Belarus
Since June, some Russian nuclear warheads have been stationed on Belarusian territory. In August, Alexander Lukashenko assured that the country would not use nuclear weapons unless there was a breach of the Union State's borders.
On 5 December, Vladimir Putin directed the acceptance of the Russian Foreign Ministry's proposal regarding an agreement with Belarus on security guarantees in the Union State. The document includes provisions of the updated nuclear doctrine adopted on 19 November. It states that Russia may use nuclear weapons in the event of an attack on Belarus.
The Union State of Russia and Belarus is a structure that began in 1998. Officially, it aims to lead to deeper integration, including monetary integration, although there are also concepts concerning the merging of both states. Over time, Minsk began to oppose this.
