Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Tuesday that Moscow is prepared to take all necessary measures under its security treaty with Belarus in response to what it sees as threats from Ukraine. Speaking in Moscow, Lavrov said Belarus was facing threats from Kyiv aimed at drawing Minsk into the conflict. He referred to recent remarks by Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who said he was prepared to order strikes on military equipment if it was not removed within a week. Lavrov noted that the equipment in question was stationed on Belarusian territory near the border with Ukraine.
Security treaty context
Lavrov reminded Kyiv and its Western supporters that since March 2025, a treaty on security guarantees within the framework of the Union State has been in force between Russia and Belarus. “If necessary, we are ready to take the full range of measures provided for under the treaty to ensure the security of our ally,” he added. The Union State is a supranational entity that integrates Russia and Belarus, and the treaty provides for mutual defense commitments. Lavrov’s statement escalates tensions in the region, as Belarus has served as a staging ground for Russian forces during the Ukraine war.