MINSK, 30 July (BelTA) – NATO has been methodically building its offensive military infrastructure along the borders of Belarus, Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko said as he met with senior local government officials to discuss topical social and political issues on 30 July, BelTA has learned.
"Our country, being a link between the West and the East, got into the epicenter of civilizational confrontation. We are not laying it thick. We are just stating the fact: NATO has been methodically building its offensive military infrastructure along our borders," Aleksandr Lukashenko said.
According to him, in addition to the multinational forces deployed in Eastern Europe, a new unit - the 18th Mechanized Division - is being established in Poland near Belarus. This division will be equipped with the American Abrams o tanks f the latest version. Two battalions will stand literally 20km away from Brest. "As you can see, nothing changes. The beginning of the Great Patriotic War did not teach them anything. They forgot what the Brest Fortress is," the head of state said.
“The system of security and defense built over the years of independence, a consistent peace-loving policy, and international agreements have created the foundations for us to repel military threats. Russia and many other countries are interested in a strong Belarus. Because this is the strength of Russia itself. Destabilization in the center of Europe will definitely be contagious, will cause a chain reaction and risk spreading to the East, the West, and the South," the president emphasized.
Aleksandr Lukashenko added that world leaders made huge efforts to resolve the crisis in Ukraine. Negotiations were held in Minsk. “What if unrests take place here, in Belarus? We must understand that if we give up, no one will be able to protect us,” he said.
