Russia, Belarus celebrate ‘Day of Unity’ as war grinds on in Ukraine
Russia and Belarus are set to celebrate the Day of Unity, commemorating the signing of a treaty in 1996 aimed at forming a Union state of the two neighbors.
The celebrations will be held on Sunday, a day after Minsk announced its readiness to host Russia's strategic nuclear weapons, amid rising tension with the West over Moscow’s ongoing military operation in Ukraine.
On April 2, 1996, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko and then Russian President Boris Yeltsin agreed on establishing the Community of Russia and Belarus followed by the creation of the Union of Belarus and Russia a year later.
The Day of Unity of the peoples of Belarus and Russia is celebrated on April 2 every year. The celebrations include official events and gatherings.
Some proposals, like a shared currency, never took off, but the Union State became the basis for a gradually deepening cooperation.
Lukashenko faced huge anti-government street protests after he won a sixth term in office as president of Belarus in 2020, with opposition supporters claiming the vote was rigged.
Russia said at the time it was ready to assist Belarus in accordance with a collective military pact if necessary. Eventually, no Russian troops were involved, but the offer went some way in quelling the uprising.
The Union State process has accelerated since last year, when Russia started its military campaign in Ukraine.
In February 2022, during the initial days of the Ukraine-Russia war, Belarus allowed Russian troops to enter Ukraine through the border it shares with Ukraine.
While Minsk has not actively taken part in the war, there have been reports of Russian missiles fired from Belarusian territory and wounded soldiers being treated in Belarusian hospitals.
In response, Belarus has been hit with sanctions, cutting it off from the European economy.
Last month, Putin announced that Moscow would station tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, which he insisted won’t violate the country's obligations under nuclear nonproliferation pacts.
On Saturday, Lukashenko said his country is ready to host Russia's strategic nuclear weapons, saying such a move would show the two nations' readiness to defend their "sovereignty and independence."
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell warned Belarus it could face further sanctions if it hosted Russian nuclear weapons.
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