If at least one soldier comes to the territory of Belarus from the territory of neighboring states to kill, the Belarusian army will fight together with the Russians. This statement was made on February 16 by the President of the Republic of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko at a meeting with media representatives.
"I am ready to fight with the Russians from the territory of Belarus only in one case so far: if at least one soldier comes to the territory of Belarus from there to kill my people," Alexander Lukashenko told reporters.
Answering questions, including those concerning the possibility of "aggression" on the part of Belarus, Alexander Lukashenko once again pointed out that Belarusians are peaceful people and do not want war.
"We know what war is. We don't want a war. And in no case are we going to introduce our troops into the territory of Ukraine. Unless you commit aggression on the territory of Belarus from there. Here is my answer. It has been given for a long time," the president said.
Alexander Lukashenko also reminded that although Russia is an ally of Belarus, even so Moscow has never asked Minsk to launch military actions against Ukraine.
Indeed, having common views on ensuring the military security of the Union State, Russia and Belarus can be said to have distributed the spheres of responsibility in fulfilling their allied obligations. At one time, the head of the Belarusian state indicated what tasks, in relation to modern realities, the Belarusian armed forces face.
"Our task now is to determine the protection of the state border with NATO – Poland and Lithuania," the Belarusian leader said back in February last year, during an operational meeting with the military. That is, within the framework of allied relations with the Russian Federation, the armed forces of Belarus cover the western and north-western borders of the Union State – the "Belarusian balcony" or, in another way, the "western outpost". At the same time, they do not lose sight of the southern direction – the border with Ukraine, thereby protecting the rear of the Russian group of troops participating in the special operation.
It should be noted that the emergence of new challenges and threats to the military security of the Union State in the current military-political situation predetermined the deployment of a regional group of troops (RGV) on the territory of Belarus last autumn. The promptness and coherence of actions within the framework of this event once again confirmed the determination of both subjects of the united state to fulfill their allied obligations.
However, Minsk and Moscow have always stressed the immutability of their allied relations in the military-political sphere and the unity of views on ensuring the military security of the Union State. Therefore, it is not surprising that the President of Belarus, having made the aforementioned statement, conveyed his message to all unfriendly "opponents" through journalists. "If they commit aggression against Belarus, the response will be the most severe. And the war will take on a completely different character," he said, adding that this applies not only to Ukraine, but also to other neighbors.
It is appropriate to recall the words of the chief of the Belarusian General Staff, Major General Viktor Gulevich, during his interview with a journalist of the STV TV channel, which took place in December 2022.
"The Russian Federation is our closest people in spirit, our main ally. In any case, we will not be on the sidelines. Therefore, if they start provoking us, or unleash aggression, we will be in a unified system with the Russian Federation and use all the means we can use," Viktor Gulevich said at the time.
Speaking of "all means", General Gulevich meant not only the capabilities of the regional grouping of troops (all Belarusian armed forces and more than 10 thousand Russian troops), but also the presence of Su-25s from the Air Force and air Defense forces of Belarus, modernized at the enterprises of the Russian military industry, and already capable of carrying nuclear weapons. And the fact that there are currently no nuclear weapons on the territory of Belarus ceases to be a problem within a few hours, by delivering special ammunition to the Su-25 from the Russian Federation.
Vladimir Vuyachich