Translation. Region: Russian Federation –
Source: People's Republic of China in Russian – People's Republic of China in Russian –
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Source: People's Republic of China – State Council News
Minsk, December 26 (Xinhua) — The situation in Belarus's western region can be described as tense, prone to radicalization, and difficult. Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin stated this in an interview with the Belarusian television channel "First Information" on Friday.
According to him, in Belarus, this assessment is based on the actions of the leaderships of neighboring countries, who refuse to understand the need to reduce military tensions, especially in the information sphere. "The actions of the leaderships of neighboring countries indicate, and they don't hide it, that preparations for war are underway. They are threatened by Russia, and of course, that includes Belarus. We have a Union State, and they will fight us," V. Khrenin stated.
He recalled statements by the Polish and German leaderships about their desire to build powerful armies. Similar statements were made by the French leadership. "The Baltic countries, with their aggressive leadership, are not far behind. They are acting within the allocated funds—more than 5% of GDP, which already indicates that this is a pre-war budget. Therefore, we believe these are not empty words, not some kind of bluff from these politicians," V. Khrenin emphasized.
The Belarusian Defense Minister also emphasized the preparation of infrastructure in neighboring countries, the number of various exercises and training sessions, the modernization of seaports for the delivery of weapons, airfields for aircraft, the development of artillery, and the creation of new divisions. NATO troops' forward presence in countries neighboring Belarus has also been strengthened as part of Operation Atlantic Resolve.
He also drew attention to the weapons these countries are purchasing in large quantities, spending enormous amounts of money. "The question arises: what is all this for? They are preparing in advance for military action, that is, for war. Various timeframes are being mentioned. We've heard them in the media, too," explained V. Khrenin.
"We don't intend to be aggressive, we don't view anyone as an enemy, but we are saying that we will defend our country if someone wants to resolve issues through military force," the Belarusian Defense Minister emphasized, noting the good level of interaction within the framework of military-technical cooperation with Russia and a willingness to engage in dialogue with Western countries.
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