Belarus’s president Alexander Lukashenko said on Thursday he is prepared for a possible invasion of Belarusian territory, adding that he is also “aware” of rumors of a possible “uprising” against the Minsk regime .
Lukashenko was responding to comments from a senior Polish official who warned on Wednesday of the possible preparation of an “uprising” in Belarus.
“Unfortunately, they do not pay attention to my words. They have probably known what I said for months (…). We have known for a long time and are preparing for it,” Lukashenko said, quoted by state news agency Belta. .
In this regard, the Belarusian leader assured that the authorities are “following the trail” of potential instigators.
“We actually know who they are, we know where they are and we know their names. We are ready. Let them in,” Lukashenko challenged.
On Wednesday, Poland’s Deputy Defense Minister General Waldemar Skrzypczak warned of the possibility of an imminent “uprising” in Belarus and underlined the importance of “being prepared”.
In an interview with the Polsat television channel, Skrzypczak, the former commander of the Polish armed forces, stated that there could be an “uprising” against the Belarusian president, with the “enthusiastic intent to overthrow” Lukashenko’s regime, and that the international community “must help them, just as you are doing with Ukraine”.
Lukashenko’s statements were made on the same day that Russia and Belarus signed an agreement to formalize procedures for sending and installing tactical nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory, while retaining control of the weapons in Moscow.
Both Russian and Belarusian officials view the measure as motivated by Western hostility.
“The installation of non-strategic nuclear weapons is an effective response to the aggressive policy of enemy countries” towards Russia and Belarus, Belarus Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said in Minsk during a meeting with his Russian counterpart Serguei Shoigu..
“Against the background of an extremely sharp escalation of threats on the western borders of Russia and Belarus, it was decided to take countermeasures in the military-nuclear field,” Shoigu added.
There are no details on when the weapons will be installed in Belarus, but Putin has already indicated that the construction of storage facilities for tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus will be completed on July 1.
The decision has already been criticized by the leader of the Belarusian opposition in exile, Svetlana Tikhanovskaya.
“We must do everything we can to stop Putin’s plan to install nuclear weapons in Belarus, as this will guarantee Russian control over Belarus for years to come,” Tikhanovskaya told the Associated Press news agency (AP).
“This will further jeopardize the security of Ukraine and all of Europe,” he added.
Source: DN
