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President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko: Mr Putin,

I express my gratitude for your presence here today, alongside your colleagues – essentially the entire leadership of the Russian Federation – as we have conducted a highly productive session of the Supreme State Council.

However, if I may, given the amicable and – as your Press Secretary [Dmitry Peskov] once aptly described – fraternal relations that we have cultivated, I wish to bring up one more point. I refrained from mentioning it during our meeting, yet I’ll be frank, since I don’t conceal it, as I previously brought it up in Astana. This is indeed a serious matter, and it would be preferable for it to be transparent rather than later there appear various speculative approaches to this issue.

Mr Putin,

We are gravely concerned about the situation in Western Europe, particularly along our borders, specifically with Poland and Lithuania, our neighbouring nations. We perceive this as an even greater threat than that posed by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.

Merely 15 kilometres away – a short distance to the border – troops are being deployed, and it is not solely the Polish and Lithuanian forces at the frontier; NATO troops from other nations, including Germany, are being amassed. Thus, the situation is exceedingly tense. Poland is expending vast resources to arm its military forces. However, if they want peaceful coexistence with us, as they profess, then why allocate billions of dollars towards armament? In essence, we are profoundly disquieted by this.

This poses a threat to our joint military force, which you referenced in your statement today. In Astana, without consulting you, I jestingly remarked upon it – but what jest can there be when discussing new weaponry?

Recently, Russia successfully launched the Oreshnik missile system. This has made a notable impact on our former partners, now adversaries. Please, do not misconstrue this as audacity: I would like to publicly request the deployment of new weapons systems, particularly Oreshnik, within Belarusian territory.

This would significantly placate certain factions inclined towards conflict against Belarus, as well as against Russia on Belarusian soil – in line with the national security concept that you recently endorsed and we have adopted today regarding the Union State.

We possess, and I am not jesting in saying this, specific locations where these weapons can be stationed. With the singular condition: that the targets for these weapons shall be determined by the military and political leadership of Belarus. Meanwhile, you would train us to operate these weapons, should this be implemented, so that Russian Federation specialists would maintain and launch the Oreshnik warheads at designated targets. You have demonstrated your proficiency recently. This would considerably fortify the defence of our Union State and, primarily, the territory of Belarus.

I earnestly ask you to contemplate this and accede to my request. We are being criticised: nuclear weapons, nuclear weapons are deployed, and so forth. These are not nuclear arms, but they are exceedingly effective. As you noted, they are comparable under certain conditions to delivering damage akin to that of a nuclear weapon, yet without any contamination and without any strikes that would lead to pollution of the territories and facilities that are targeted.

Once more, I urge you to consider it. It would constitute substantial support – not solely for my appeal, but also for the Belarusian people.

President of Russia Vladimir Putin: Mr Lukashenko, colleagues,

Foremost, I wish to extend my gratitude to the President of Belarus for the invitation to visit Minsk and for the traditionally warm reception accorded to our entire delegation.

As I have already remarked during today’s proceedings: a substantial amount of work has been undertaken by the experts and government representatives on both sides to prepare for today’s event – an endeavour that proved to be both successful and efficient. Indeed, there are issues within the economic domain that require further attention. Nonetheless, all our preceding meetings have been directed towards reaching consensus on some contentious matters, which inevitably arise given the extensive scope of our collaboration.

As of today – the President of Belarus is aware, as are our colleagues from both sides – virtually all issues that have previously sparked disputes or necessitated coordination have been resolved. Certainly, there remains work to be done, and we shall pursue it. I am confident of achieving favourable outcomes, as both parties are eager and prepared to continue our collective, constructive endeavours. This signifies that solutions will be found and realised.

Although, I reiterate, as of today – Mr Lukashenko, I trust you concur – there are no issues causing dissatisfaction in the progression of our relations on either side. There are, I reiterate, matters requiring further work, and we shall address them.

We have just signed two exceedingly significant agreements – one concerning the unified electricity market and another on security guarantees. Undoubtedly, these treaties are of paramount importance: one within the economic sphere, the other within the security sphere, as the treaty on security guarantees delineates mutual allied commitments to ensure the defence of Russia and Belarus. And, as we have previously stated, with the deployment of all available forces and resources.

That is why we decided to meet the requests from the Republic of Belarus and the President of Belarus to deploy Russian tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus.

Of course, such cutting-edge systems as Oreshnik have no parallels in the world. A combined missile assault by this system is comparable to the use of nuclear weapons, yet they are not weapons of mass destruction for two reasons.

Firstly, unlike weapons of mass destruction, this system is a precision weapon. It does not hit areas, and it achieves a desired effect not through its power, but through precision. This is the first point.

Secondly, in the case of a combined missile assault – using one, two or three systems – it is the same as a nuclear weapon in terms of the impact force but it does not contaminate the area and does not have any radiation fallout since the warheads of these missiles have no nuclear component.

Now as regards the possibility of deploying such, let’s face it, formidable weapons as Oreshnik missile systems on the territory of Belarus. Since we have signed today a treaty on security guarantees with the use of all available forces and means, I believe that the deployment of such complexes as Oreshnik on the territory of the Republic of Belarus is feasible. This is the first point.

Second. I think, this will become possible in the second half of next year, as the production of such systems is ratcheted up, as these systems are mass-produced in Russia, and as these missile systems enter service with the Russian Strategic Missile Forces.

And there are obviously a number of technical issues to be addressed by specialists, namely, identifying the minimum range in view of the priorities of ensuring the security of the Republic of Belarus. Specialists should look into the matter, but I think that it is possible, given that this will require minimal costs. I mean that Belarus retained certain infrastructural capabilities from the times of the Soviet Union, so the deployment of such missile systems in Belarus will incur minimal costs to prepare the infrastructure.

Of course, although they will be part of the Russian Strategic Missile Forces, nevertheless, it will certainly be up to the military and political leadership of the Republic of Belarus to identify the targets on the territory of the potential adversary. This is obvious.

So, we will discuss all this in a routine mode. I must only say right away – experts are well aware of this – the shorter the range, the greater the striking power of the warhead. Well, we will talk more about technical details later.

Thank you.

Alexander Lukashenko: Thank you, Mr Putin. I am quite satisfied with the answer – the second half of next year.

Vladimir Putin: Yes, the second half of next year. By that time, according to our preliminary estimates, we will have established series production. These systems will enter service with the Russian Strategic Missile Forces. And concurrently we will begin deploying them on the territory of Belarus.

Alexander Lukashenko: I took advantage of our friendship in the sense that if you want something from Putin, make him promise it publicly.

Thank you!