Belarus Updates Military Doctrine to Provide Military Assistance to Allies in Event of Aggression: Document

Belarus has updated its military doctrine to include provisions for providing military assistance to allies in the event of aggression against them, according to a document approved by the All-Belarusian People’s Assembly. The document was published on the national legal internet portal. «The Republic of Belarus considers it possible to provide military assistance to friendly states on the basis of bilateral and multilateral international agreements of the Republic of Belarus, including by sending military contingents to participate in activities aimed at maintaining international peace and security», - the updated doctrine states. The document also specifies that Belarus views the use of force against any of the member states of the Union State (which includes Russia besides Belarus) as an encroachment on the unity as a whole. In such cases, Minsk will «take appropriate response measures using all forces and means at its disposal». Russia is named as Belarus' strategic ally in the military doctrine.



Military force, in particular, may be used to ensure collective security and maintain international peace and security in accordance with international agreements of the Republic of Belarus, as outlined in the doctrine. Additionally, Minsk will consider the use of force against one of the member states of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) as aggression against all members of the alliance. In connection with this, Belarus may provide the country under attack with all necessary assistance, including military. The CSTO includes six former Soviet countries — Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. The organization is based on the Collective Security Treaty signed in Tashkent in 1992. The main goal of the CSTO is to protect member states from external armed aggression. Armenia announced the suspension of its membership in the CSTO in February 2024.