Editing Union State (section)

{{Short description|Supranational union of Belarus and Russia}}

{{About|the post-Soviet organization|the non-seceding side of the American civil war|Union (American Civil War)|subnational division|Union territory (disambiguation)|other|Union (disambiguation)}}
{{Distinguish|State of the Union|Union State Bank (disambiguation)}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}

{{Infobox geopolitical organization
| conventional_long_name = Union State
| native_name            = {{unbulleted list|item_style=font-size:88%; |{{native name|ru|Союзное государство|italics=off}} |{{native name|be|Саюзная дзяржава|italics=off}}}}
| image_map              = Union State (orthographic projection) - All Territorial Disputes.svg
| map_width              = 220px
| map_caption            = The Union State, with disputed territories in light green{{Efn|[[Crimea]], which was [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|annexed by Russia]] in 2014, remains [[United Nations General Assembly Resolution 68/262|internationally recognised]] as a part of Ukraine.<ref name="dispute">{{cite web |last=Pifer |first=Steven |url=https://www.brookings.edu/blog/order-from-chaos/2020/03/17/crimea-six-years-after-illegal-annexation/ |title=Crimea: Six years after illegal annexation |publisher=[[Brookings Institution]] |date=17 March 2020 |access-date=30 November 2021}}</ref> Donetsk, Luhansk, Kherson, and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, which were [[Russian annexation of Donetsk, Kherson, Luhansk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts|annexed]]—though are only partially occupied—in 2022, also remain [[United Nations General Assembly Resolution ES-11/4|internationally recognised]] as a part of Ukraine. The southernmost [[Kuril Islands]] have been the subject of a territorial dispute with Japan since their occupation by the Soviet Union at the end of World War II.<ref name="chapple-2019">{{cite web |last=Chapple |first=Amos |title=The Kurile Islands: Why Russia And Japan Never Made Peace After World War II |date=4 January 2019 |url=https://www.rferl.org/a/the-disputed-islands-where-world-war-2-never-ended/28402307.html |access-date=26 January 2022 |publisher=[[Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty]]}}</ref>}}
| official_languages     = {{hlist |[[Belarusian language|Belarusian]] |[[Russian language|Russian]]}}
| membership_type        = Member states
| government_type        = [[Supranational union]] (currently), [[confederation]] (proposed)
| membership             = {{plainlist|
* {{flag|Belarus}}
* {{flag|Russia}}}}
| legislature            = Supreme State Council and Council of Ministers
| upper_house            = Supreme State Council
| demonym                = [[Russians]], [[Belarusians]]
| org_type               = [[Supranational union]]
| lower_house            = Council of Ministers
| sovereignty_type       = Formation
| established_event1     = [[Dissolution of the Soviet Union]]
| established_date1      = 26 December 1991
| established_event2     = Commonwealth of Belarus and Russia
| established_date2      = 2 April 1997
| established_event3     = Treaty on the Creation of a Union State of Russia and Belarus
| established_date3      = 8 December 1999
| leader_title1          = Chairman of the Supreme State Council
| leader_name1           = {{nowrap|{{flagicon|Belarus}} [[Alexander Lukashenko]]}}
| leader_title2          = Chairman of the Council of Ministers
| leader_name2           = {{nowrap|{{flagicon|Russia}} [[Mikhail Mishustin]]}}
| leader_title3          = General (State) Secretary
| leader_name3           = {{nowrap|{{flagicon|Russia}} [[Sergey Glazyev]]}}
| admin_center_type      = Headquarters
| admin_center           = 8/5 [[Staraya Square]], Entrance 3, 103132 [[Moscow]], [[Russia]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.postkomsg.com/en/higher_authorities/permanent_committee/|title=Постоянный Комитет Союзного государства|website=postkomsg.com}}</ref>
| largest_city           = Moscow<br />{{smaller|{{coord|55|45|N|37|37|E|display=inline}}}}
| currency               = {{unbulleted list |[[Belarusian ruble]] |[[Russian ruble]]}}
| area_km2               = 17332786
| area_footnote          = {{ref|footnote_a|a}}
| population_estimate    = {{increaseNeutral}} 159,729,208{{ref|footnote_a|a}}
| population_estimate_year = 2025
| population_density_km2 = 8.9
| GDP_PPP                = {{growth}} $7.502 trillion<ref name="IMFWEORU">{{cite web|url=https://www.imf.org/en/Publications/WEO/weo-database/2025/April/weo-report?c=913,922,&s=NGDPD,PPPGDP,&sy=2022&ey=2025&ssm=0&scsm=1&scc=0&ssd=1&ssc=0&sic=0&sort=country&ds=.&br=1|title=Report for Selected Countries and Subjects: April 2025|website=[[International Monetary Fund]]|access-date=17 May 2025}}</ref>
| GDP_PPP_year           = 2025
| GDP_nominal            = {{growth}} $2.257 trillion<ref name="IMFWEORU" />
| GDP_nominal_year       = 2024
| utc_offset             = +2 to +12
| date_format            = dd.mm.yyyy
| drives_on              = right
| official_website       = {{URL|https://soyuz.by/en}}
| footnote_a             = {{note|footnote_a}} Combined Belarus and Russian numbers, excluding [[Annexation of Crimea by the Russian Federation|annexed Crimea in March 2014]] that is not recognized internationally.
}}

The '''Union State'''{{efn|{{langx|ru|Союзное государство|Soyuznoye gosudarstvo|links=no}}; {{langx|be|Саюзная дзяржава|Sajuznaja dziaržava|links=no}}.}} is a [[supranational union]] consisting of [[Belarus]] and [[Russia]], with the stated aim of deepening the relationship between the two states through integration in economic and defence policy.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://council.gov.ru/services/reference/9928/|title=СОЮЗНОЕ ГОСУДАРСТВО|website=Совет Федерации Федерального Собрания Российской Федерации|access-date=22 April 2021|archive-date=22 April 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210422000347/http://council.gov.ru/services/reference/9928/|url-status=dead}}</ref><ref name="auto">{{Cite web|url=https://www.postkomsg.com/news/various/170103/|title = Проект Конституционного акта Союзного государства}}</ref> Originally, the Union State aimed to create a [[confederation]]; however, both countries currently retain their independence.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.themoscowtimes.com/2020/09/23/a-political-union-between-russia-and-belarus-is-creeping-closer-a71523|title = A Political Union Between Russia and Belarus is Creeping Closer|date = 23 September 2020}}</ref> 

The Union State is based on a previous international treaty between Russia and Belarus<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://search.rsl.ru/ru/record/01003059884|title = Куракина, Светлана Ивановна – Союзное государство Беларуси и России: конституционно-правовое исследование : автореферат дис. ... кандидата юридических наук : 12.00.02 – Search RSL}}</ref> made on 2 April 1997.<ref name="auto1">{{Cite web|title=Устав Союза Беларуси и России от 23 мая 1997 – docs.cntd.ru|url=https://docs.cntd.ru/document/9043017|access-date=2021-10-14|website=docs.cntd.ru}}</ref> Although it consists of only Russia and Belarus, other countries are allowed to join.<ref name="auto"/> The supranational union is ruled through the Supreme State Council<ref name="auto3">{{Cite web|url=http://council.gov.ru/services/reference/9928/|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200529103008/http://council.gov.ru/services/reference/9928/|url-status=dead|archive-date=29 May 2020|title=Союзное Государство}} </ref> and other governing bodies.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://belrus.ru/content/organy_souznogo_gosudarstva/|title=Органы Союзного государства|website=belrus.ru}}</ref> As of 2025, the current president of the Supreme State Council of the Union is [[Alexander Lukashenko]], who has held the position since 2000.<ref name="auto5">{{Cite web|url=https://soyuz.by/vysshiy-gosudarstvennyy-sovet-soyuznogo-gosudarstva|title = Высший Государственный Совет Союзного государства}}</ref> The present goal of the Union State mainly focuses on economic integration,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-02-16|title=Full integration of Russia and Belarus unlikely in present context, says expert|url=https://tass.com/politics/1257249|access-date=2021-08-05|website=TASS}}</ref> taxation,<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-22|title=Lukashenko says Minsk and Moscow agreed 26–27 roadmaps on integration|url=https://tass.com/world/1281905|access-date=2021-08-05|website=TASS}}</ref> and integration of defence and intelligence apparatus.<ref>{{Cite web|date=2021-04-22|title=Putin believes integration processes of intelligence in Union State to be effective|url=https://tass.com/politics/1281857|access-date=2021-08-05|website=TASS}}</ref>