Russian President Vladimir Putin and Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko signed an interstate treaty that obliges the two countries to preserve the inviolability of the external border of the Union State, of which only Russia and Belarus are members, with the use of all available forces and means, including Russian tactical nuclear weapons stationed in Belarus, AP reported Dec. 6. Putin also said the agreement will allow Russia to deploy the Oreshnik intermediate-range ballistic missile to Belarus in the second half of 2025 as production of the weapon increases.