NSLukashenko confirmed in statements published by the official Belta Agency that he dealt with the anti-government protests last year without involving the armed forces of other countries, but added that he would not hesitate to call for the deployment of Russian forces if necessary.
However, he stressed, “there is no need for this now,” since Belarus has the capacity to quickly recall 500,000 of its personnel.
And he warned that “if this is not enough, we will station all the Russian armed forces here.”
“This will never happen. But we will not hesitate if necessary,” Effie and The Associated Press quoted the Effie news agency and The Associated Press as saying.
Moscow and Minsk have close military and defense relations, and two Russian radar stations communicating with nuclear submarines are located in the Atlantic, India and parts of the Pacific Ocean in Belarus.
The two former Soviet Union countries planned large-scale joint military exercises in September, code-named Zapad 2021, which were met with international criticism.
How many maneuvers do they do [países da NATO] Quoting Belta, Lukashenko questioned international criticism of the joint military exercises with Russia.
In the political crisis that affected Belarus after Lukashenko’s re-election to a sixth term in August 2020, Russia pledged military support and granted Belarus a loan of $1.5 billion (€1.2 billion).
Lukashenko faced months of protests when he was declared the winner of an election that the opposition and the West deemed fraudulent.
The regime responded to the protests violently, with police beating thousands of protesters in the streets and arresting 35,000 people.
In the wake of the crisis, the European Union and the United States imposed multiple sanctions against the Belarusian leadership and key sectors of the country’s economy.
Lukashenko accused the West of trying to organize a revolution in Belarus, including putting pressure on the country with sanctions.
“It seems that they are looking for our sore areas. They mainly affect the export sectors of the Belarusian economy (…), but the main goal is to leave people without pensions, wages, benefits, education and medical care and to cause discontent among Belarusians, ”said Lukashenko.
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