Statement of the United Transitional Cabinet of Belarus
on Countering Threats to the Sovereignty and the Independence of the Republic of Belarus
a) Having regard to the statement of the president of the Russian Federation V.Putin on the deployment of nuclear weapons in Belarus,
b) recalling the illegality of Alexander Lukashenko's retention of power after his defeat in the 2020 presidential election,
c) in view of the ongoing aggression of the Russian Federation and the Lukashenko regime against Ukraine,
d) noting that the Russian Federation used the territory of the Republic of Belarus for an act of aggression against Ukraine and contrary to the will of the Belarusian people,
e) reaffirming the aspirations of the Belarusian people for a nuclear-free status of Belarus expressed in the Declaration on State Sovereignty of the Republic of Belarus of July 27, 1990, in the Constitution of the Republic of Belarus of March 15, 1994, and in the Memorandum on Security Assurances in connection with the Republic of Belarus accession to the 1968 Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons of December 5, 1994, (Budapest Memorandum),
f) recalling the guarantees of respect for independence, sovereignty, state borders, non-use of force and economic pressure provided to the Republic of Belarus under the Budapest Memorandum,
g) having regard to the obligations of the Republic of Belarus under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons of 1 July 1968 including those mentioned in the Budapest Memorandum, namely, to eliminate all nuclear weapons from its territory,
h) reaffirming the international obligations of the Republic of Belarus to the non-proliferation of nuclear weapons,
i) reiterating the previously stated demands of the United Transitional Cabinet to the Russian Federation for the immediate and complete withdrawal of all its troops and military facilities from the territory of Belarus,
j) noting the inherent right of Belarusian people to self-defense of the Republic of Belarus under the UN Charter,
The United Transitional Cabinet
Acknowledges that the deployment of nuclear weapons on the territory of the Republic of Belarus takes place against the will of the Belarusian people.
Declares that the Russian Federation breaches its obligations toward the Republic of Belarus to respect the independence and the sovereignty of the Republic of Belarus.
Declares that the Lukashenka regime and the Russian Federation breach the obligations of the Republic of Belarus and the Russian Federation correspondingly under the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons.
Acknowledges that no more guarantees of respect for independence, sovereignty, state borders, non-use of force and economic pressure provided to the Republic of Belarus exist under the Budapest Memorandum.
Acknowledges that the Belarusian people have the right to defend their sovereignty and independence by all available means.
Declares that any use of force by the Russian Federation against the Belarusian people within the territory of the Republic of Belarus constitutes an act of aggression against the Republic of Belarus under international law.
Calls upon the international community, particularly, the European Union, the United States of America, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, Canada, Japan, other states and international organizations whose mandate includes the maintenance of international peace and security, to take all possible measures to help Belarusian people to defend the independence and the sovereignty of the Republic of Belarus.
Warsaw, Vilnius, June 17, 2023
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