Belarus will only pool Russian troops if the country is attacked by Ukraine, Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko declared this Thursday during a rare meeting with foreign media in Minsk.
“I am ready to fight on the side of the Russians from the territory of Belarus only in one case: even if it is only a soldier who comes [da Ucrânia] with a gun on our territory to kill our people,” Lukashenko stressed.
“This applies not only to Ukraine, but also to all other neighboring countries,” Lukashenko added, emphasizing that “if they attack Belarus, the response will be very brutal and the war will take a completely different turn.”
Belarus serves as a rear base for the Russian offensive launched against Ukraine nearly a year ago. Russian soldiers and military equipment were transferred to Belarusian territory.
Many analysts say the Kremlin is pressuring Lukashenko to let his army participate in the Russian offensive in Ukraine. However, the Belarusian leader has so far refused to make this decision despite his heavy political and economic dependence on Moscow, especially since the major demonstrations against his government in 2020.
The Belarusian leader also announced that he will meet with Russian President Vladimir Putin on Friday.
In late January, Putin asked his government to negotiate the establishment of joint military training centers with Belarus.
In mid-October, Belarus and Russia even announced the creation of a joint force with a purely defensive mission, Minsk said.
The two countries are constantly holding large-scale military exercises, regularly fueling speculation that the Belarusian army could take part in the offensive in Ukraine.
Source: DN
