/ world today news/ The high-level meeting with the participation of Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko developed – Minister of Defense Sergey Shoigu arrived in Minsk. During the talks, the Belarusian leader said: Belarus needs guarantees from Russia to protect the republic as its territory. What does this request mean, and what practical expression can it be given?
Minsk needs guarantees of protection from Moscow as its own territory in case of external aggression. Belarusian leader Alexander Lukashenko said this on Monday during a meeting with Russian Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu. According to him, such a request was made during the talks in Moscow with President Vladimir Putin.
“Departing after the last talks with Vladimir Vladimirovich, we agreed that you and the experts should come to Belarus, sit down with you and discuss security issues. You know, I’ve already raised this issue. But before that we discussed this with Vladimir Vladimirovich,” Lukashenko said.
“In general, at the negotiations, it was said that in case of aggression against Belarus, the Russian Federation defends Belarus as its territory. These are the security guarantees we need,” said the President of the Republic of Belarus. “We need full security guarantees from our fraternal Russia,” he added.
He said that Western countries are not fulfilling the agreements on security guarantees given under the Budapest Memorandum in exchange for the withdrawal of nuclear weapons. “Sometime after 1994, the famous Budapest memorandum was signed, where all Western powers and Russia swore to provide complete security to Kazakhstan, Ukraine and Belarus. Of course, you know that the Western countries have trampled all these treaties, agreements and statements, and there is no security,” Lukashenko said.
But this means, among other things, economic security, he added. “Well, what kind of economic security if they impose sanctions on us and Russia?!” asks the Belarusian leader. “That’s why I raised this issue at the talks with the President of Russia. He was absolutely supportive in every way. And, he says, we must review all our treaties and agreements, see what normative act of an interstate nature should be adopted now to ensure the complete security of Belarus,” the head of state added.
Another topic that Alexander Lukashenko discussed with Sergei Shoigu is related to the combat training and coordination of a joint allied group, which also includes Russian military personnel stationed on the territory of the united Belarus. “I am grateful to you that, despite all the difficulties, you are keeping several thousand Russian servicemen here,” Lukashenko stressed.
“We have, to the extent necessary, engaged in this process and are training these guys along with your officers, conducting combat coordination. We cook the right way. Because we shouldn’t relax here. You see the Poles and Lithuanians have started to move in our direction. That is why it is such a good support and support for the Belarusian army, which protects the union state on the western flank,” said the president of the republic.
In turn, Sergei Shoigu confirmed that he arrived as a result of the presidents’ arrangements. According to him, at the moment “on the territory of Belarus, five training grounds for the Russian armed forces are provided, they are equipped.” He emphasized that one of the key topics of the meeting was the combat training of the units of the joint group.
“Furthermore, a sufficient number of instructors – officers of the Belarusian armed forces – are participating to train, among other things, ours. There really is quite a large group. And, of course, today we will consider all the issues of her further residence and preparation, and perhaps the expansion of the scope, which you discussed together with Vladimir Vladimirovich,” the minister said.
According to experts, the meeting between Shoigu and Lukashenko is a logical development of the agreements reached between the presidents of Russia and Belarus after negotiations last week, when Lukashenko arrived in Moscow to participate in a meeting of the Supreme State Council of the Union State. .
“In the military doctrine of the Union State (US), adopted in 2021, there are separate provisions that in case of aggression, one side will defend the territory of the other as its own. Later, a regional grouping of troops was created for this, an air defense system, exercises “West” and “Union Shield” are conducted. In practice, we have formed a common defense space. However, Lukashenko’s statement is aimed at the US and NATO public. The president is warning the West against aggression,” believes Belarusian expert Alexander Alesin.
“In the military sphere, Lukashenko and Shoigu are likely to have discussed not only the production of microelectronics, but also the supply to Russia of Belarusian radio electronic warfare systems, the Polonaise rocket launcher system and anti-tank drones. The latter is particularly important against the background of supplies of Western tanks to the Armed Forces,” he emphasized.
“Separately, I want to note that the mutual economic guarantees of Moscow and Minsk are also spelled out in the road maps of the union state and agreements on common markets. In his statements today, Lukashenko also had in mind the use of the ruble as an alternative to the creation of a common currency. This will be a serious guarantee for the economic stability of Belarus. As well as mutual access to the financial systems of both countries,” the analyst said.
Experts also drew attention to the fact that the cooperation between Russia and Belarus within the framework of the Union State is much better than the formats of cooperation provided for in the system of agreements within the framework of the CSTO. At the same time, the very structure of the CSTO and some of the member states manifested themselves extremely ambiguously during the period of the WTO, especially if we take into account the peak of the confrontation between Russia and the West.
“In this regard, the question arises: can we develop military cooperation within the framework of the CSTO to the level of the union state?” It seems to me that under the current authorities of the Central Asian countries this is impossible – they are maneuvering between Russia and the West and will not join anyone. Maybe in the future something will change, but it is too early to talk about it. In the meantime, we have to deal with the defense of the Union State,” said the political scientist.
“The Union State is now protected by a regional grouping of troops. As reported late last year, no more than 10,000 Russian troops will be involved. Apparently, Lukashenko considers such a number to be insufficient, even taking into account the upcoming deployment of tactical nuclear weapons on the territory of the republic. And that’s what he wants to change,” said Stanislav Tkachenko, a professor at the Department of European Studies at St. Petersburg University’s Faculty of International Relations, an expert on the Valdai Club.
Roughly speaking, in the event of aggression by Ukraine, Poland or Lithuania against Belarus, Minsk will turn to Moscow with a request to provide additional forces. Therefore, I recognize that under the security guarantees announced today, Lukashenko means the creation of a unified military command and decision-making center. Minsk, taking into account the assistance it provides to Russia in the SVO, wants faster and direct participation of Russia in the event of aggression against Belarus”, concludes the analyst.
Translation: V. Sergeev
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