The Ministry of Defense of Belarus has taken the initiative to make changes to the legislation, which potentially pave the way for the introduction of martial law in the country against the background of Russia’s full-scale war against Ukraine.
The corresponding draft law entitled “On changing the laws on ensuring military security and defense” has already been submitted to the lower house of the parliament for consideration. The project provides for the harmonization of the provisions of the current legislation with the military doctrine of the country, in particular in terms of the powers of the president, the Security Council, the Ministry of Defense and the General Staff.
The tasks of the armed forces and the role of the General Staff in ensuring military security are also clarified. In addition, the list of military threats that may be grounds for imposing martial law is being updated. In particular, it is assumed that an “armed attack” on the so-called allied state, which includes Russia and Belarus, will be considered as a reason for the introduction of martial law on the territory of Belarus.
These changes are considered in the context of the upcoming large-scale joint exercises of Russia and Belarus “Zapad-2025”, which are scheduled for mid-September. The Russian side declares that these maneuvers are of an exclusively defensive nature and are aimed at preparing actions in response to potential aggression against the Union State.
