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MINSK, 26 January (BelTA) – At a press conference in Minsk on 26 January, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko told journalists that after receiving Russia's Oreshnik missile system, he plans to deploy it on the territory of the country closer to Smolensk, BelTA has learned.
“Over there, closer to Smolensk. That's where I want it to be. And then we'll see. A certain distance is needed. It's bad when your targets are very close. When they are very far away, they can carry a smaller load. That's why I'm considering a location somewhere near you [Russia]. Moreover, these are common weapons. But I'm not saying 'at Smolensk'. That's just how I see it for now,” the head of state said.
When asked when Oreshnik will be delivered to Belarus, Aleksandr Lukashenko explained that he and Vladimir Putin had not set any deadlines. “Firstly, it is not urgent. Of course, I understand that Russia needs this Oreshnik, too. And then, it is not that simple. When I said '10 systems', I was joking. That is huge money. And Russia's industry produces not just Oreshnik systems. I understand that. One Oreshnik complex is enough to defend Belarus. Yet, they are also needed in Russia. And we did not discuss specific deadlines. It is not urgent. We have enough [of other weapons] to defend Belarus,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
“If necessary, we will ask Russia for something else. But if something extraordinary happens, we will bring Oreshnik from Russia – one of those that they have today. We have a joint task force to defend our common territory. No matter what is going on in Ukraine, we will have this military task force,” the president added.
He also noted that the plans to deploy Oreshnik in Belarus were made in response to the desire and possibility of deploying American intermediate-range missiles in Europe. "Therefore, if they drop this idea, I will tell my elder brother: 'Let's wait.' It does not matter whether they will be deployed in Smolensk or Orsha. It is irrelevant for us. What is important for us is that American intermediate-range missiles do not end up on European territory, because they can be equipped with a nuclear component,” the Belarusian leader said.
According to him, the first Oreshnik complex will be deployed as soon as it is produced in Russia.
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