MINSK, 24 February (BelTA) – Russia's leaders have never raised the matter of participation in some operations before the Belarus president, BelTA learned from the head of state Aleksandr Lukashenko on 24 February.
Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “Russia's leaders have never raised the matter of participation in some operations, including this Ukrainian one, before me. We have our own tasks, which by the way correlate with the conflict and with the operation Russia is carrying out in Ukraine. We have to cover our back over there so that the Russian army would not be attacked from behind. It is in our interests. It is in interests of the Russian army.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko said: “Putin and I have agreed that I will think about what other modern military hardware we may need yet in order to cover these areas. Today I conferred with the military and we see it would be a good idea to deploy Iskander missile systems over there and one or two S-400 missile system squadrons somewhere else. So that we could monitor the situation all the way to Berlin. Because [the air defense missile system] S-400 Triumf can see all of it. It is a weapon that brings our adversaries to their senses.”
He noted: “So, today or tomorrow I will talk to the president of Russia about how we should get stronger here, in the western direction. Ukraine aside, but things are stirring up in Poland and Lithuania. Brigades, aircraft, helicopters, and the rest are being deployed. They have been deploying for some time already. Hardware such as Iskander and S-400 Triumf missile systems could be a most powerful deterring factor. We can do without it but it would be good to have it. Then they would hardly invade Belarus.”
Aleksandr Lukashenko stated that diplomacy has never been effective so far. “Nowhere. Only force. And they criticize us for teaming up with Russia. Listen, where were they, our neighbors when there was a war in Iraq, in Afghanistan, in Syria? What interests could they have over there? But no, they sent their battalions over there. This is why in the current situation, as I say, little birds gather up into a flock and fly to the south,” the president noted. “One has to be together with those who… Who can we be together with? With Poles? Never. You see their attitude. With the Baltic republics? They are already teamed up with someone. With Ukrainians? You see how things have turned out.”
