GRODNO, 24 August (BelTA) – The military will protect Belarus from external threats; the task of the local authorities is to stabilize the situation inside the country, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he met with members of the regional council of deputies in Grodno on 22 August, BelTA has learned.
“Grodno and Minsk are the two places that are experiencing the most serious attempts to foment tensions. As far as Grodno is concerned, I do not see any catastrophe here. I realized it again after spending half a day studying the situation here. However, you should keep in mind that Grodno Oblast is a western frontier, a western gem of our Belarus. If we, god forbid, back down here, this will be the first step to losing the sovereignty and independence of Belarus,” the president said.
In his words, Belarus' adversaries are fully aware about it, therefore they are pressurizing the country on all fronts – both inside and outside. “They are trying to break and intimidate us from inside. On the other side of the border they are openly threatening us. You probably hear these threats coming from western politicians very well. If all of them start singing the same tune and openly announcing financial assistance – this means something in diplomacy,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
The head of state noted that NATO troops are approaching the Belarusian border, while F-16 jets are some 15-20 minutes away. “We realized it last year when they announced maneuvers, however coronavirus postponed their plans a little bit. Now that the situation here, from their point of view, is not stable, they have taken action. All the troops are on standby; we see and understand that. Therefore, I had to order to put the Armed Forces on full combat alert,” the president said.
He recalled that Vitebsk airborne troops were dispatched to Grodno Oblast. The operational command was reinforced with the Tochka missile battalion, the Polonez battalion and the S-300 missile system. “In other words, we fully shielded Grodno and the entire area in the Lithuanian and Polish directions,” the Belarusian leader added.
Aleksandr Lukashenko is sure that the military will cope with this task. The local authorities have another mission – to stabilize the situation inside the country. “Do not respond to provocations. Everything they [opponents to the incumbent government] say are fakes. The situation will get back to normal and I will unveil all the details,” the head of state promised.
