President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko said that in the event of external aggression, the republic will turn into "a single military base of Belarus and Russia." He said this in an interview with CNN, which was released on October 1.
"If necessary, Belarus will turn into a single base of Belarus and Russia, a military base, in order to resist your aggression. If suddenly you (the USA, — Ed.) decide to do this, or some neighboring states. You should clearly understand this," the Belarusian leader is quoted as saying by the publication "SB.Belarus Today".
Lukashenko noted that Belarus has long been an outpost of the Union State. According to him, in the event of a conflict, "the entire western part of the Russian Armed Forces will support" the republic.
At the same time, Lukashenko blamed the West and its restrictions for the military rapprochement of the two countries.
"If you are so afraid that Belarus may turn into a western outpost of Russia, then why are you pursuing this stupid, brainless policy. Why are you making us an outpost of Russia?" the Belarusian leader addressed the journalist.
At the same time, the President of Belarus stressed that there are no full-fledged military bases in the republic of any other countries, including the Russian Federation. The exceptions are two Russian military facilities and a base from the Soviet era, "we can say, for civilian purposes," where only "two or three officers" from Russia serve.
In the same interview, the Belarusian leader stressed that the question of Belarus joining Russia is an invention of the collective West. This topic, as the president clarified, is not on the agenda.
On September 27, the Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said that Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko was turning his country into a Russian military base, repeating Moscow's narratives about American military bases and militant camps in Ukraine.
In June, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin announced that in the near future it is planned to complete the creation of joint training centers with Russia for forces and troops.
The Treaty on the Establishment of the Union State between Russia and Belarus entered into force on January 26, 2000. In December 2019, by the 20th anniversary of the document, it was proposed to adopt a program to deepen integration.