Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has greatly intensified economic and military cooperation with Russia in recent months and years, placing his country in an extremely dependent relationship. It was recently announced that Russia would station tactical nuclear weapons in the neighboring country – on the NATO border. Now the Belarusian ruler has asked the Kremlin to protect his land as “Russian territory”.
During a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu on Monday in Minsk, Lukashenko asked for appropriate security guarantees, state news agency Belta reported. He also thanked for the stationing of thousands of soldiers on Belarusian territory.
Russia recently announced that it will also station nuclear weapons in Belarus. Former Belarus also borders Ukraine, against which Russia has been waging an offensive war for more than a year with assistance from Belarus. Lukashenko accused the West of violating the 1994 Budapest Memorandum. At the time, the three ex-Soviet republics of Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine had renounced nuclear weapons in exchange for security guarantees from the US, Britain and Russia. The Belarusian head of state has now accused the West of threatening his country’s survival with sanctions.
Kiev: “Antelope in the mouth of the crocodile”
Lukashenko’s request is similar to an “antelope in the mouth of a crocodile” request for security guarantees, Ukrainian presidential adviser Mykhailo Podoliak tweeted (see tweet above). Lukashenko is considered to be economically, militarily and politically heavily dependent on Moscow.
Kiev credits Minsk for supporting Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, as Russia also launched the invasion from Belarusian territory. Lukashenko has been in power in Minsk for more than a quarter of a century.
Source: Krone
I am Wallace Jones, an experienced journalist. I specialize in writing for the world section of Today Times Live. With over a decade of experience, I have developed an eye for detail when it comes to reporting on local and global stories. My passion lies in uncovering the truth through my investigative skills and creating thought-provoking content that resonates with readers worldwide.
