MOSCOW, 19 January (BelTA) – The statements of the United States Department of State are outrageous and paranoid, they are out of touch with reality, Chairman of Russia's State Duma Committee on International Affairs Leonid Slutsky said in his Telegram channel commenting on the statements of a senior State Department official about the upcoming joint exercises of Belarus and Russia, as well as about the new Belarus Constitution draft, BelTA informs.
“The statements of the United States Department of State are as arrogant as they are out of touch with reality and paranoid. It looks like that any activity of the Russian Armed Forces will now prompt an unhealthy response on the part of the United States. This is just a joint exercise with one of our closest allies. And the recent developments in Kazakhstan have shown that our countries need to form closer ties,” Leonid Slutsky emphasized.
“As far as the constitutional referendum in Belarus is concerned, all these statements are yet another attempt and a rather rude attempt to interfere and put pressure on a sovereign state. Only the Belarusian people should decide how and by what Constitution to live, without dictate from outside. The USA that has flooded Europe with its nuclear warheads is not entitled to make such comments. Russia's initiative on security guarantees, which includes the return of any nuclear weapons to national borders, is still on the negotiating table. And we are still waiting for a written response from the American side on each point of the initiative,” the Russian MP said.
