MINSK, 17 October (BelTA) – Belarus is one of the few pockets of peace left in Europe. State Secretary of the Security Council of Belarus Aleksandr Volfovich made the statement as he met with workers of the Minsk-based tractor factory MTZ, BelTA has learned. Matters concerning the existing military political situation in the country and abroad were discussed during the meeting.
Aleksandr Volfovich said: “A lot of online reports say that Russian army units are being relocated to Belarus in order to create a force that will attack Ukraine. It is something our foreign neighbors would like to see, regretfully. Particularly Poles. Yes, the regional force grouping has started concentrating in Belarus' territory. Gradually and not up to full strength. Life will demonstrate later on whether it should be up to full strength or not.”
Belarusian army units at peacetime strength represent the core of the regional force grouping without any mobilized personnel. The official noted: “It is one of the ways to deter and cool down the heads of our western neighbors. They always rebuke us by saying that Belarus is an aggressive county, that we are preparing for a war. But we are not. We stage scheduled army exercises every two years according to bilateral agreements with the Russian Federation. Every two years in Belarus' territory and every two years in Russia's territory. The current force grouping has been amassed not for the sake of an exercise but in order to demonstrate that we will be able to fight back if the West crosses the state border. They don't mind that nearly 8-9 military exercises are held virtually every week in neighboring countries. As many as nine major exercises involving joint NATO forces are taking place in Eastern Europe right now. Including three exercises in neighboring countries. One major exercise in Poland, another one in Lithuania, and another one in Latvia.”
“An exercise of NATO's nuclear forces has begun today. The unscheduled exercise will last for two weeks and will practice offensive actions. The Russian Federation, China, Belarus, North Korea, Syria, Iraq, and Iran will be considered aggressor countries, potential enemies during the exercise. Our exercises never view Poland, Lithuania, or Latvia as a potential enemy. But they consider us as an aggressor country. Although we are one of the few pockets of peace left in Europe. The fact worries our neighbors and the leadership of the collective West. But a visa-free travel program is in place. Lithuanians, Poles, Latvians come to Belarus and see that things are not exactly the way their foreign mass media report it,” Aleksandr Volfovich added.
