Minsk. February 20. INTERFAX - Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said that the neighboring countries of Belarus are "pumping" the most modern weapons and that Europe "smells very strongly of gunpowder."
"Our neighboring countries are being "pumped up" with the most modern weapons in an emergency unscheduled manner. (...) It (Europe) is being purposefully pushed towards war," Khrenin said during the summing up of the preliminary results of the completed joint operational exercise "Allied Resolve-2022". His words are quoted by the press service of the Ministry of Defense of Belarus.
According to him, numerous groups of troops and forces are being created on the territory of neighboring states, "including from third countries." "The level of readiness for the use of NATO's interspecific emergency response units has been increased from seven to five days in case of the so-called "escalation of the situation in Ukraine," he said.
He said that when pumping neighbors with weapons, priority is given to modern offensive means. According to the Ministry of Defense of Belarus, military and transport infrastructure facilities have been modernized there, the number of exercises and operations conducted near the borders of the Union State has increased many times. "Their orientation against Russia and the Republic of Belarus is also obvious," Khrenin said.
"The idea of the inevitability of war with the "eastern neighbors" is firmly embedded in the consciousness of the Western man in the street. At the same time, the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus are accused of militaristic aspirations," he said.
The Belarusian minister also accused the West of unwillingness to perceive the "red lines" outlined by Russia in the security architecture of Europe, which are relevant for Belarusians as well. "We see the rejection of the fundamental principle of the indivisibility of security," Khrenin said.
