New doctrine in Russia ally Belarus for the first time provides for using nuclear weapons

TALLINN, Estonia (AP) — The defense minister of Belarus says the country closely allied with Russia will put forth a new military doctrine that for the first time provides for the use of nuclear weapons. Russia last year sent tactical nuclear weapons to be stationed in Belarus, although there are no details about how many. Russia has said it will maintain control over those weapons, which are intended for battlefield use and have short ranges and comparatively low yields. It’s not immediately clear how the new doctrine might be applied to the Russian weapons.