MINSK, 12 May (BelTA) – The military and political situation at the western borders of the Union State of Belarus and Russia will remain a crisis in the near future. State Secretary of the Security Council of Belarus Aleksandr Volfovich made the statement in an interview with the Russian magazine Natsionalnaya Oborona [National Defense], BelTA has learned.
Aleksandr Volfovich said: “According to our estimates, the situation will develop amid the continued aggravation of international relations. Provocations involving weapons are possible taking into account the amassing of troops in the direct vicinity of Belarus. They may lead to various border incidents, including unintended ones, and may involve national armed forces and NATO reinforcement forces.”
In his words, all these factors indicate there are direct challenges to the military security of Belarus and Russia. “In order to prevent them from growing into a military threat our Armed Forces are taking a set of strategic deterrence measures, which in my opinion ensures an adequate response to the current crisis situation,” Aleksandr Volfovich remarked.
The official pointed out that the USA and its allies are building up the force groupings in Eastern Europe and Southeast Europe, including in direct vicinity of the Union State of Belarus and Russia. Over 20,000 foreign military personnel are presently deployed in Poland and the Baltic states. The contingent has more than doubled in comparison with 2020.
NATO's reinforced aviation group now includes over 90 aircraft. About 40 of them are based in Poland and the Baltic states. The aviation force in Europe has increased by more than 4.5 times since 2020 while the aviation force in Poland and the Baltic states has increased by more than 2.5 times. The naval force in the Baltic Sea and the Mediterranean Sea has been reinforced as well.
Meanwhile, the scale and intensity of combat training in neighboring countries are rising. Over 15 exercises have already been held this year. Over 60,000 personnel and over 5,000 units of equipment have taken part in them. Poland and the Baltic states are substantially increasing their defense spending, increasing the number of personnel in their armies. The military infrastructure is being improved in order to accommodate additional NATO contingents.
Aleksandr Volfovich stressed that the measures the USA and its partners in NATO are taking in the eastern direction have nothing in common with deterrence. He described them as steps meant to assure domination and subjugation of Russia and its key allies, primarily Belarus, to interests of the West and their consequent conversion into mere suppliers of raw materials.
