MINSK, 21 February (BelTA) – Defense partnerships cannot be viewed in isolation from the general rhetoric and the tone of interstate relations, Chief of the General Staff of Belarus' Armed Forces Major-General Viktor Gulevich said at a briefing for military attaches to mark the upcoming Day of Fatherland Defenders and the Armed Forces, BelTA learned from the Defense Ministry of Belarus.
“Military cooperation cannot be viewed in isolation from the general rhetoric and the tone of interstate relations. We do not accept diktat and unilateral restrictive measures against Belarus. We view the policy of NATO's eastward expansion as aggressive and unjustified. It does not contribute to stability in Eastern Europe, instead it increases the likelihood of an armed conflict,” Viktor Gulevich said.
The chief of the General Staff noted that tensions are rising. The source of tensions is not on the territory of Belarus. “All this set in motion a set of measures to deter such aggressive moves and the threat of the use of force against the Republic of Belarus and the Union State as a whole,” Viktor Gulevich added.
