ORSHA, 28 August (BelTA) – Europe must think about the consequences it may face if the situation in Belarus escalates, Belarus President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he spoke to the personnel of Savushkin Orsha and journalists on 28 August, BelTA has learned.
“Those abroad need to calm down and think what consequences the problems in Belarus may bring to Europe,” the head of state said.
“You have heard yesterday's statement of our neighbor and my good friend [Russian President Vladimir Putin]. His words do not mean that Russians want to protect Belarus. We can do it ourselves. The Russian president and I understand what can happen if we miss something out,” the head of state said.
According to him, in this case Belarus can turn into a theater of hostilities ‘where they will be solving their issues.' “They [the West] do not need Belarus. Belarus is a springboard, as usual, to Russia. Just not in the way Hitler sent his Army Group Center to Moscow. Technology is different. They need to remove this government and install another one which will appeal to a foreign state to send in troops and provide support,” the president said. "They need a market here to sell their products.”
Speaking about the military threat, Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed that it does exist. “We are not idiots. American F-16 aircraft were stationed near Berlin. They have been redeployed here, some 15-20 minutes of flying time to our territory. It raises concern for me as a commander-in-chief. 18 planes. I do not know what they carry, maybe nuclear weapons. I am proceeding from the worst-case scenario. I had to respond,” the president said.
“Why did NATO start to deploy its forces near our borders at this very moment?” the president wondered. “They have launched exercises right near the border. What should I do? I have deployed our units near the border, too. Half of the army was brought to combat alert. It is not cheap,” he added.
Against the background of external threats, there is a need to keep a certain reserve of military personnel in view of the social and political situation, Aleksandr Lukashenko noted. “Is that normal? You start criticizing me that I am running around the streets with an assault rifle ready to shoot my own people. Look, I have never pointed a finger at my people for a quarter of a century, much less shoot," the Belarusian leader stressed.
The president drew parallels with the situation at the start of the Great Patriotic War when the Soviet army was lulled and was caught unprepared to repel the aggression. “I know history very well. I make conclusions. It was a lesson for me. I had to bring half of the army to combat alert and deploy the units around Grodno so that they will not even think of laying their hands on this gem,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
“Do not worry. These are my problems and I will be addressing them. You need to deal with the issues here, locally. Otherwise we will lose everything we have achieved,” the Belarusian leader said.
Aleksandr Lukashenko told the company's team how he contacted the Russian president to describe the situation to him. “We have an agreement. I suggested discussing what to do. He said he knows what they want. Putin has already been through several such stages since the Chechen war and knows what is happening along the borders. We have reached an agreement. We are going to get through this. But if they, abroad, make an attempt, we will use a joint group of armed forces, the backbone of which is the Belarusian army. Russians will support us and follow us. We have created a reserve with Russia. No soldiers from Russia have crossed our border. We have been coping on our own so far. We will not hesitate to humble anyone who will make an attempt at the western border of the Union State,” the president said.
By taking appropriate measures, Russia is saving not only Belarus. This is a threat to Russia itself. “Understanding this, the Russian president is defending Belarus, first of all, to defend Russia,” Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
