Belarus is a nuclear power or not. Will nuclear weapons return to Belarus? Belarus and Ukraine: different strategies
Belarus has threatened the West with a possible withdrawal from the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT). According to official Minsk, the United States and Great Britain, by applying economic sanctions against Belarus, violated their obligations towards the country. That is why Minsk may cease to comply with these conditions. This, at least, was stated by the Belarusian delegation in Geneva at the second session of the Preparatory Committee for the NPT Review Conference.
The Belarusian side emphasized that it was very important for it that the tripartite security guarantees provided in accordance with the 1994 Budapest Memorandum in connection with Belarus' voluntary renunciation of the right to possess nuclear weapons work. "Three states - Great Britain, Russia and the United States - have undertaken to respect the independence and sovereignty of Belarus, including not to use measures of economic coercion," the Belarusian delegates stressed. And if there are sanctions, then Western partners encroach on the independence of Belarus.
“A reasonable question arises why, despite the fixed and repeatedly confirmed commitments, some nuclear powers in practice ignore them, continuing to apply economic and political pressure. was registered with the UN as an international treaty in November 2012. Violation of accepted legal obligations is an unacceptable norm of behavior of states from the point of view of international law," the Belarusian side stressed.
The irritation of the official Minsk is understandable. The US and the EU apply a whole range of political and economic sanctions to Belarus. Currently, the "black list" of the EU includes 243 individuals and 32 companies that support the "Lukashenko regime." The number of those on the "black list" of the United States is unknown, but it is possible that it is even higher. We are talking about budget-forming companies - such as Belspetsexport, Belneftekhim, Belaruskali. They sell their products mainly in foreign countries. This means that sanctions are a direct blow to the country's budget.
Along the way, Belarus reached a new - almost Soviet - level of military integration with Russia. In May, the allies will hold large-scale exercises "West-2013", where they will work out a possible nuclear strike on Warsaw. The exercises will be held in close proximity to the Polish borders. In addition, Russia announced for the first time that it plans to permanently deploy its air regiment with fighter jets in Belarus by 2015. According to Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu, the start of work on this project is planned for this year: Moscow will place an aviation commandant's office with its neighbors and put the first duty unit of combat fighters on duty. "We intend to continue to consider issues necessary to strengthen the defense capability of our Belarusian colleagues and brothers," Shoigu stressed.
Yury Shevtsov, director of the Minsk Center for European Integration Problems, believes that a landmark event has happened for the Belarusian foreign policy. "To relocate an entire air regiment to Belarus in less than two years is very fast. And this reflects a high degree of military anxiety about NATO or individual NATO countries. Polish games of greatness have always ended badly for Poland," the expert explains. And he adds: “It is unlikely that the opposition to Polish activity regarding Belarus will be limited to one Russian air regiment. At a minimum, the saturation of the Belarusian army with new weapons and equipment will go faster now. will increase exponentially."
Of course, such activity on the part of the official Minsk will inevitably affect the eastern borders of the EU. Poland and Lithuania will begin to rapidly increase military spending. And if for Poland they are unlikely to become too much of an economic burden, then for Lithuania, geopolitical changes will definitely mean additional problems in terms of getting the country out of the economic crisis. Shevtsov also believes that Russia will increase pressure on Lithuania - both economic and informational. "The EU does not compensate Lithuania for these losses. There will still be no war between Russia and NATO, but, here, the losses from the current Polish activity in the east for Lithuania can be quite serious," the political scientist sums up.
Experts consider it quite likely that the threats of the Belarusians will not be empty air shaking, and that the country will respond to the sanctions by withdrawing from the Budapest Memorandum. "The United States has actually already withdrawn from it. Recently there was a statement, it seems, by the US embassy in Belarus that the United States does not consider this Memorandum as a binding document for them," Shevtsov comments.
All this means that Belarus, Ukraine and Kazakhstan are about to get a legal basis to return to their nuclear status. And in the end, someone, and Belarus, will definitely be able to count on the deployment of Russian nuclear weapons on its territory. Moreover, the Belarusian government already possesses approximately 2.5 tons of nuclear materials, some of which are highly enriched, sufficient, for example, to quickly manufacture a "dirty" atomic "bomb."
In addition, "a number of threshold countries will receive an additional impetus to the creation of nuclear weapons, because they will see the unreliability of security guarantees from the United States. Most likely, Iran will officially try to become the first of these countries," Shevtsov describes the more distant consequences of these changes.
All this, no doubt, plays into the hands of Lukashenka. Stanislav Shushkevich, the author of the Belarusian nuclear disarmament program, says that “Lukashenko will soon begin to more actively blackmail the United States with a return to nuclear status.” He will do this in order to achieve the removal of economic sanctions from Belarus. And Old Man can return to him every time he doesn’t like something in the behavior of NATO member countries. Whether Lukashenka will receive nuclear weapons, which he has been dreaming of for a long time, will depend only on Russia in the next few years.
The United States, obviously, will have to somehow respond to this. An attempt to pacify the intractable Lukashenka may turn into new conflicts for NATO member countries. Which is especially unsafe against the backdrop of the growing military power of China and the embittered rhetoric against the West from Russia.
At the session of the General Assembly of the United Nations in New York, many states have already signed the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons (it was adopted on July 7, 2017 at the UN Headquarters and opened for signature on September 20. - Ed.). As UN Secretary General António Guterres put it, by doing this they want to create a world "without doomsday weapons." But countries with nuclear weapons (NW) do not participate in the initiative.
Atwho has nuclear weapons and how many?
It is generally accepted that there are actually nine nuclear powers in the world today - the USA, Russia, France, Great Britain, China, India, Pakistan, Israel and North Korea. At their disposal, according to the Stockholm Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) as of January 2017, there are a total of about 15 thousand nuclear warheads. But they are distributed among the G-9 countries very unevenly. The United States and Russia account for 93 percent of all nuclear warheads on the planet.
Who has official nuclear status and who does not?
Officially, only those that signed the 1968 Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty are considered nuclear powers. These are (in order of creating their first atomic bomb) the USA (1945), the USSR/Russia (1949), the UK (1952), France (1960) and China (1964). The remaining four countries, although they have nuclear weapons, have not acceded to the treaty on its nonproliferation.
North Korea withdrew from the treaty, Israel has never officially recognized that it has nuclear weapons, but Tel Aviv is believed to have them. In addition, the United States assumes that Iran continues to work on the creation of an atomic bomb, despite the official rejection of the military use of nuclear energy and control by the IAEA.
How did the number of nuclear warheads change?
Although over time more and more states have acquired nuclear weapons, the number of nuclear warheads today is much lower than during the Cold War. In the 1980s there were about 70,000 of them. Today, their number continues to decline in accordance with the disarmament agreement concluded by the United States and Russia in 2010 (the START III treaty). But the quantity is not so important. Almost all nuclear powers are modernizing their arsenal and making it even more powerful.
What are the initiatives for nuclear disarmament?
The oldest such initiative is the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons. The states that signed it, which do not have nuclear weapons, take upon themselves the obligation to refrain from creating it for a long time. The official nuclear powers undertake to negotiate disarmament. However, the agreement did not stop the proliferation of nuclear weapons.
Another weak point of the treaty is that in the long run it divides the world into those who have nuclear weapons and those who do not. Critics of the document also note that the five official nuclear powers are also permanent members of the UN Security Council.
Have there been successful nuclear disarmament treaties?
The USA and the USSR/Russia have destroyed a significant number of nuclear warheads and their carriers since the end of the Cold War. Under the START-I treaty (signed in July 1991, entered into force in December 1994, expired in December 2009. - Ed.), Washington and Moscow have significantly reduced their nuclear arsenals.
Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev signing START III, April 2010
This process was not easy, slowed down from time to time, but the goal was so important for both sides that Presidents Barack Obama and Dmitry Medvedev signed the START III treaty in the spring of 2010. Obama then announced his desire for a nuclear-free world. The further fate of the treaty is considered uncertain against the backdrop of the show of military force pursued by US President Donald Trump and Russian actions against Ukraine.
Which countries have given up nuclear weapons?
Shortly before the abolition of the apartheid regime, South Africa, as well as Libya in 2003, abandoned attempts to create an atomic bomb. The former republics of the USSR, which inherited nuclear weapons after its collapse, stand apart here. Ukraine, Belarus and Kazakhstan signed the Lisbon Protocol, which made them parties to the START-1 treaty, and then acceded to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
The largest arsenal, the third in the world after the United States and Russia, was in Ukraine. Rejecting it, Kyiv received financial assistance in return, as well as guarantees of security and territorial integrity from nuclear powers, enshrined in the so-called Budapest Memorandum. However, the memorandum was in the nature of a voluntary commitment, was not ratified by any of the states that signed it, and did not provide for a mechanism of sanctions.
Context
With the start of the conflict in eastern Ukraine in 2014, critics of the memorandum say that Kyiv's renunciation of nuclear weapons did not justify itself. They believe that Ukraine's possession of nuclear weapons would prevent Russia from annexing Crimea. On the other hand, experts note that the example of North Korea can cause a chain reaction when more and more countries want to get atomic warheads.
What are the prospects for a ban on nuclear weapons
The current initiative to ban nuclear weapons is nothing more than a symbolic gesture against the nuclear arms race. If only because all nine nuclear powers do not take part in this initiative. They argue that nuclear weapons are the best defense against attack and point to the already existing non-proliferation treaty. But there is no mention of a ban in this treaty.
NATO also does not support the treaty, which was opened on September 20 for signature. The campaign for its signing, as stated in the official statement of the alliance, "does not take into account the increasingly threatening international security environment." Jean-Yves Le Drian, French foreign minister, called the initiative "almost irresponsible" "self-deception." According to him, it can only weaken the nonproliferation treaty.
On the other hand, Beatrice Fin, head of the international campaign for the abolition of nuclear weapons, called on the countries of the world to join the initiative. She stressed that nuclear weapons are "the only type of weapons of mass destruction that has not yet been banned, despite their destructive power and threat to humanity." According to her, with the advent of Donald Trump to power in the United States, this threat has increased.
See also:
North Korean missiles and bombs
Rocket launches in North Korea have become noticeably more frequent in recent years. Pyongyang is testing ballistic missiles in defiance of UN resolutions and gradually tightening sanctions. Experts do not even rule out the start of hostilities on the Korean Peninsula.
Rocket and nuclear tests of the DPRK: a project of three generations of Kims
Beginning - during the late Kim Il Sung
Although the number of missile tests has grown in the last four years, the first of them were carried out as early as 1984 - under the then North Korean leader Kim Il Sung. According to the Nuclear Threat Initiative, over the past 10 years of his rule, the DPRK conducted 15 tests, and there were no launches from 1986 to 1989 inclusive.
Rocket and nuclear tests of the DPRK: a project of three generations of Kims
Kim Jong Il: the beginning of nuclear tests
Kim Jong Il, the son of Kim Il Sung, who led the country in July 1994, also did not stand aside. During the 17 years of his reign, 16 missile tests were carried out, although almost all of them took place in two years - 2006 (7 launches) and 2009 (8). This is less than in the first 8 months of 2017. However, it was during the reign of Kim Jong Il that Pyongyang's first two tests of nuclear weapons took place - in 2006 and 2009.
Rocket and nuclear tests of the DPRK: a project of three generations of Kims
Kim Jong-un: unprecedented activity
Under the son and grandson of the former rulers, the activity of the DPRK in the missile sphere has reached an unprecedented level. For 6 years, Pyongyang has already carried out 84 launches of ballistic missiles. Not all of them were successful, in some cases the rockets exploded at the start or in flight.
Rocket and nuclear tests of the DPRK: a project of three generations of Kims
towards Guam
In early August 2017, reports surfaced that the North Korean army was developing a plan to launch four medium-range ballistic missiles at a US military base on the Pacific island of Guam. The reaction of US President Donald Trump was predictably harsh and threatening.
Rocket and nuclear tests of the DPRK: a project of three generations of Kims
Over Japan
On August 29, 2017, the DPRK carried out another test, and this time the missile flew over the territory of Japan - the island of Hokkaido. Kim Jong-un said that the launch of a rocket towards Japan is a preparation for a war in the Pacific.
Rocket and nuclear tests of the DPRK: a project of three generations of Kims
Sixth nuclear
A few days after the missile was launched over Japan, North Korea announced that it had successfully tested a nuclear weapon, specifying that it was a hydrogen bomb. This was already the sixth underground nuclear explosion carried out by Pyongyang. Experts estimated the yield of the bomb at about 100 kilotons.
Rocket and nuclear tests of the DPRK: a project of three generations of Kims
Meetings and condemnatory statements
After almost every North Korean test of missile or nuclear weapons, security councils of various countries and the UN Security Council gather for emergency meetings. But they, like the condemning statements of world leaders, have not yet brought any effect.
In the symbolic club of nuclear powers, modern Belarus existed for almost five years: from the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991 until November 27, 1996, when the last echelon with missiles filled with nuclear charges left the territory of the republic.
Since then, a number of politicians have more than once heard words about allegedly lost power for nothing, because a nuclear club is a convincing argument for countering the intrigues of external potential enemies that encroach on the sovereignty of a state. Then suddenly the ambassador Alexander Surikov on the possible deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus "with a certain level of mutual trust and integration." That Alexander Lukashenko "the worst mistake" withdrawal of nuclear weapons from Belarus, accusing "our nationalists and Shushkevich" for screwing up "the greatest asset and expensive commodity".
Occasionally, some anonymous sources from the Belarusian and Russian military departments declare their readiness to return nuclear missiles to the blue-eyed, provided that "management decision made". It is noteworthy that Allied military experts note: “The Belarusians have the entire military infrastructure of the Warsaw Pact era in perfect condition, up to the launchers of missiles with nuclear warheads that were taken to Russia after the collapse of the USSR”.
As for the sites for launchers, their condition website already analyzed - in the publication. It is clear that it is unsafe, to put it mildly, to approach such facilities - still operating or mothballed - to put it mildly. However, some idea of the current state, for example, of bases capable of storing nuclear weapons can also be obtained from open sources. It should be emphasized that in a hypothetical return to Belarus "greatest asset" it is these bases that are of paramount strategic importance. Everything begins with them.
Our part of nuclear history
Data on the total number of nuclear charges in the USSR has never been published in the open press. According to various estimates, in the Soviet Union there were from 20 to 45 thousand units. Some researchers point out that as of 1989, there were about 1,180 strategic and tactical nuclear warheads on the territory of the BSSR. Bases for their storage began to be built in the early 1950s. And they built, it must be said, for centuries: they did not spare high-quality cement, the storage facilities were buried in the ground to a depth of 10 meters.
Among the very first and largest military depots - nuclear bases designed to store and prepare for the use of atomic bombs, a base was built at the long-range aviation airfield, located in Machulishchi, which is two dozen kilometers from Minsk. In the language of the military, it was called military unit No. 75367 and had the code name "repair and technical base."
Another strategic missile base (RVSN) was located near Gomel. Almost nothing is known about her, only the number - military unit 42654 - and the code name "Belar Arsenal".
The most famous object of this series was and remains the artillery arsenal, which began to be built in 1952 near the Kolosovo station in the Stolbtsy district of the Minsk region. Before the collapse of the USSR, the storage served military unit 25819, and it itself was called the 25th Arsenal of the Strategic Missile Forces. Officially, the unit was disbanded and withdrawn to Russia in 1996. However, later the unit was reanimated, and now it is listed as the 25th arsenal of rocket and artillery weapons in the Armed Forces of Belarus. It was here that the dismantling of nuclear warheads took place in the 1990s under the close supervision of NATO inspectors.
Noisy "Kamysh" and the commander disappeared
After the last nuclear warhead was removed from the arsenal to Russia, confusion and vacillation began in the unit. It was easy to get to the once-secret object, bypassing the checkpoint, simply by stepping over a fallen fence. By the way, the arsenal was essentially three objects: on the same territory in the forest there was a military camp and the actual administrative part of the unit with technical facilities. The ammunition storage base called "Kamysh" was located a few kilometers from the headquarters - also in the forest. In 1996, there was practically no security there anymore.
Pillars with shields with the inscription “No entry. We shoot without warning" were turned out. The premises of the checkpoint were plundered, the remains of the alarm were lying on the ground. The only thing that remained untouched was the territory itself, where there were warehouses with conventional ammunition underground. True, there were no people who wanted to go there. The seven-kilometer perimeter territory was fenced with two rows of barbed wire, which was under high voltage. Next to the locked gate stood a five-meter metal tower with loopholes. The sight is terrible...
The command of the arsenal and the officers who remained in the ranks and unnecessary to anyone were more concerned with the problem of their own survival than with service. The local authorities threatened to de-energize and deprive the military of heat for non-payment of accumulated debts. The situation was terrible, and each of the servicemen was spinning as best they could.
The commander of the arsenal, a colonel, simply solved the problem of his own survival. One day he just disappeared. As it turned out, he deserted, but not empty-handed. Along with him, a suitcase with very expensive "trophies" disappeared: the colonel stole 600 magnets with a high content of platinum for a total amount of about 100 thousand dollars. During the dismantling of missiles, non-ferrous and precious metals were collected in the unit.
How and at what cost the 25th arsenal was restored and, as they say, put into operation, we will not guess.
According to website, about ten years ago, this military facility was equipped with the latest integrated security system, which consists of several subsystems. The technical territory of the arsenal is a wire fence with a voltage between the lines of 3,000 volts. Even if you overcome this milestone, then inside you can run into electric shock traps with a voltage of under 6 thousand volts with three levels of operation: signal, warning and striking. A special video surveillance system also helps to protect the territory at any time of the day. Plus, the human factor in uniform and with a gun.
By all indications, the 25th arsenal is capable of protecting and maintaining not only weapons of the usual, let's say, explosive type. As the military say: "We carry out orders, but do not discuss!".
They recently received another such order. After their commander-in-chief on February 13, the Agreement between Belarus and Russia on the joint protection of the external border of the Union State in the airspace and the creation of a unified regional air defense system. Why is there no reason to gossip about the once lost nuclear power and possible options for gaining it?
In the symbolic club of nuclear powers, modern Belarus existed for almost five years: from the collapse of the Soviet Union in December 1991 until November 27, 1996, when the last echelon with missiles filled with nuclear charges left the territory of the republic
Since then, a number of politicians have repeatedly heard words about allegedly lost power for nothing, because a nuclear club is a convincing argument for countering the intrigues of external potential enemies that encroach on the sovereignty of the state. Suddenly, Ambassador Alexander Surikov will speak about the possible deployment of Russian nuclear weapons in Belarus "with a certain level of mutual trust and integration." Then Alyaksandr Lukashenka will call the withdrawal of nuclear weapons from Belarus a "cruel mistake", while accusing "our nationalists and Shushkevich" of squandering "the greatest wealth and expensive goods."
From time to time, some anonymous sources from the Belarusian and Russian military departments declare their readiness to return nuclear missiles to Sineokuyu, provided that "a decision is made by the leadership." It is noteworthy that allied military experts note: "The Belarusians have the entire military infrastructure of the Warsaw Pact era in perfect condition, up to the launchers of missiles with nuclear warheads that were taken to Russia after the collapse of the USSR."
As for the sites for launchers, Naviny.by has already analyzed their condition - in the publication "There is no place for nuclear weapons in Belarus?". It is clear that it is unsafe, to put it mildly, to approach such facilities - still operating or mothballed - to put it mildly. However, some idea of the current state, for example, of bases capable of storing nuclear weapons can also be obtained from open sources. It should be especially emphasized that in the hypothetical return of the "greatest asset" to Belarus, it is precisely such bases that are of paramount strategic importance. Everything begins with them.
Our part of nuclear history
Data on the total number of nuclear charges in the USSR has never been published in the open press. According to various estimates, in the Soviet Union there were from 20 to 45 thousand units. Some researchers point out that as of 1989, there were about 1,180 strategic and tactical nuclear warheads on the territory of the BSSR. Bases for their storage began to be built in the early 1950s. And they built, it must be said, for centuries: they did not spare high-quality cement, the storage facilities were buried in the ground to a depth of 10 meters.
Among the very first and largest military depots - nuclear bases designed to store and prepare for the use of atomic bombs, a base was built at the long-range aviation airfield, located in Machulishchi, which is two dozen kilometers from Minsk. In the language of the military, it was called military unit No. 75367 and had the code name "repair and technical base."
Another strategic missile base (RVSN) was located near Gomel. Almost nothing is known about her, only the number - military unit 42654 - and the code name "Belar Arsenal".
The most famous object of this series was and remains the artillery arsenal, which began to be built in 1952 near the Kolosovo station in the Stolbtsy district of the Minsk region. Before the collapse of the USSR, the storage served military unit 25819, and it itself was called the "25th Arsenal of the Strategic Missile Forces." Officially, the unit was disbanded and withdrawn to Russia in 1996. However, later the unit was reanimated, and now it is listed as the 25th arsenal of rocket and artillery weapons in the Armed Forces of Belarus. It was here that the dismantling of nuclear warheads took place in the 1990s under the close supervision of NATO inspectors.
Noisy "Kamysh" and the commander disappeared
After the last nuclear warhead was removed from the arsenal to Russia, confusion and vacillation began in the unit. It was easy to get to the once-secret object, bypassing the checkpoint, simply by stepping over a fallen fence. By the way, the arsenal was essentially three objects: on the same territory in the forest there was a military camp and the actual administrative part of the unit with technical facilities. The ammunition storage base called "Kamysh" was located a few kilometers from the headquarters - also in the forest. In 1996, there was practically no security there anymore.
Pillars with shields with the inscription "No passage. Shooting without warning" were turned out. The premises of the checkpoint were plundered, the remains of the alarm were lying on the ground. The only thing that remained untouched was the territory itself, where there were warehouses with conventional ammunition underground. True, there were no people who wanted to go there. The seven-kilometer perimeter territory was fenced with two rows of barbed wire, which was under high voltage. Next to the locked gate stood a five-meter metal tower with loopholes. The sight is terrible...
The command of the arsenal and the remaining in the ranks and useless officers were more concerned with the problem of their own survival than with the service. The local authorities threatened to de-energize and deprive the military of heat for non-payment of accumulated debts. The situation was terrible, and each of the servicemen was spinning as best they could.
The commander of the arsenal, a colonel, solved the problem of his own survival simply. One day he just disappeared. As it turned out, he deserted, but not empty-handed. Along with him, a suitcase with very expensive "trophies" disappeared: the colonel stole 600 magnets with a high content of platinum for a total amount of about 100 thousand dollars. During the dismantling of missiles, non-ferrous and precious metals were collected in the unit.
The 25th Arsenal How and at what cost the 25th Arsenal was restored and, as they say, put into operation, we will not guess.
According to Naviny.by, ten years ago this military facility was equipped with the latest integrated security system, which consists of several subsystems. The technical territory of the arsenal is a wire fence with a voltage between the lines of 3,000 volts. Even if you overcome this milestone, then inside you can run into electric shock traps with a voltage of under 6 thousand volts with three levels of operation: signal, warning and striking. A special video surveillance system also helps to protect the territory at any time of the day. Plus, the human factor in uniform and with a gun.
By all indications, the 25th arsenal is capable of protecting and maintaining not only weapons of the usual, let's say, explosive type. As the military say: "We carry out orders, but do not discuss!".
They recently received another such order. After their commander-in-chief on February 13 approved the Agreement between Belarus and Russia on the joint protection of the external border of the Union State in the airspace and the creation of a Unified Regional Air Defense System. Why is there no reason to gossip about the once lost nuclear power and possible options for gaining it?
The Republic of Belarus is an important participant in global efforts for nuclear non-proliferation and disarmament in the context of the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons (NPT).
Belarus first announced its intention to make its territory a nuclear-free zone in 1990 in the Declaration "On State Sovereignty of the Republic of Belarus". By signing the Lisbon Protocol in 1992, Belarus became a member of the Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START). This step was inextricably linked with the adoption of the most important political decision on the accession of Belarus to the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons as a state without nuclear weapons.
In July 1993, Belarus officially acceded to the NPT, becoming the first state to voluntarily renounce the possibility of possessing nuclear weapons left after the collapse of the USSR. It should be emphasized that Belarus refused to possess the most modern military nuclear potential without any preconditions and reservations. Thus, our country actually initiated the process of settling the issues of nuclear disarmament in the post-Soviet space in the interests of international peace and security. Welcoming the fact of Belarus joining the NPT as a non-nuclear state, Great Britain, Russia and the United States provided security guarantees to Belarus, fixing their obligations in the Budapest Memorandum on December 5, 1994.
The withdrawal of nuclear weapons from the territory of Belarus was completed in November 1996.
Belarus considers the obligation of nuclear-weapon states under Article VI of the NPT to negotiate effective measures for nuclear disarmament as the main strategic goal of the Treaty. We support a balanced and phased approach to nuclear disarmament. Belarus welcomed the signing by Russia and the United States on April 8, 2010 of a new Treaty on Measures for the Further Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms as the next step towards the reduction of nuclear weapons. We consider it necessary to continue efforts at the national, regional and global levels to move towards the goal of universal nuclear disarmament.
The problem of guarantees of the non-use of nuclear weapons against the states parties to the NPT that do not possess such weapons remains topical. The provision of unambiguous security guarantees is a guarantee of trust and predictability in international relations and can help strengthen the nuclear non-proliferation regime based on the NPT. Belarus intends to continue working on obtaining legally binding guarantees, which could be formalized in the form of a separate international document.
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons laid the foundation for an international system of guarantees excluding the use of peaceful nuclear energy for military purposes. Such a system operates under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency and involves the conclusion by each state party to the NPT of separate agreements with the IAEA.
In accordance with its obligations under the NPT, in 1996 Belarus concluded an Agreement on the Application of Safeguards with the IAEA. The verification activity of the Agency carried out on the basis of this Agreement confirms the fulfillment by Belarus of obligations on the exclusively peaceful use of nuclear material and facilities. In 2005, Belarus and the IAEA signed the Additional Protocol to the Safeguards Agreement. This document significantly expands the IAEA's ability to carry out verification activities.
The Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons clearly guarantees the right of states to pursue peaceful nuclear programs, subject to the fulfillment of non-proliferation obligations. This provision of the NPT is especially relevant due to the fact that at present there is an increase in the attention of the world community to the development of nuclear technologies, primarily to the creation of national nuclear energy programs. In this regard, Belarus is interested in seeing the rights of the participating States enshrined in the Treaty be fully implemented and on a non-discriminatory basis.
In May 2010, the five-yearly NPT Review Conference was held in New York, in which a Belarusian delegation took part. The conference concluded with the adoption of a final document including conclusions and recommendations for future action. The Belarusian delegation took an active part in the work of the conference, in particular, in the development of the plan of action in the field of nuclear disarmament approved by the final document. We believe that paragraph 8 of the action plan, which indicates the obligation of nuclear states to comply with existing security guarantees, is directly applicable to the guarantees provided to Belarus in accordance with the 1994 Budapest Memorandum, especially taking into account the fact that the UN registered this document on November 13, 2012 as an international contracts.
The preparatory process for the 2015 Review Conference is currently under way.