RUSSIA MUST USE NUCLEAR DETERRENT TO PROTECT ALLIES – ANALYST
RIA Novosti
16:11 | 12/ 03/ 2008
MOSCOW, March 12 (RIA Novosti) – Russia must reserve the right to use
nuclear weapons to protect Collective Security Treaty Organization
(CSTO) members in case of an imminent threat, a Russian political
analyst said on Wednesday.
The CSTO is a post-Soviet security group comprising Russia, Armenia,
Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan.
"It is necessary to extend part of Russia’s nuclear doctrine, which
covers the use of tactical nuclear weapons, to all members of the CSTO
treaty as a deterrence guarantee," said Leonid Ivashov, the head of
the Moscow-based Academy of Geopolitical Sciences.
He said the existing treaty was too vague about the assistance,
including military, which each CSTO country must provide to an ally
in case of a clear and imminent threat of military aggression.
"Article 4 of the treaty must be revised and contain a concrete
definition of such assistance, clearly described in military-strategic
terms," Ivashov said during a round-table meeting in Moscow.
The Treaty on Collective Security was signed in Tashkent, Uzbekistan
on 15 May 1992. The CSTO was established on 18 September 2003
in accordance with a decision of the heads of member states on
transforming the treaty into an international regional organization.
Article 4 of the current treaty stipulates that: "If an act of
aggression is committed against any of the member states, all other
member states will render it necessary assistance, including military,
and provide support with the means at their disposal by exercising the
right to collective defense in line with Article 51 of the UN Charter".
The Russian leadership has already reaffirmed its commitment to
building and maintaining a strong nuclear deterrent, while strongly
criticizing the proposed deployment of the U.S. missile shield in
Central Europe, and further eastward expansion of NATO.