Lukashenko comments on NATO manoeuvres
In his interview to Dmitry Kiselyov, the General Director of Rossiya Segodnya international news agency, President Lukashenko said that – against the background of NATO manoeuvres in the neighbouring countries – he is forced to have plans, units and subdivisions of the Belarusian army to respond to any attempt to create a conflict here, BelTA reports
"They have launched these manoeuvres in Poland, Latvia, Lithuania and Ukraine. What should I do as Commander-in-Chief? I should not succumb to provocations but I need to anticipate what will happen to avoid the repeat of the 1941 events. Stalin told everyone then not to succumb to provocations. Signals were coming from the Kremlin, while the war had actually begun here. Therefore, I need to have plans, subdivisions and units of the Belarusian army that will respond to any attempt to create a conflict here – on the border of the Baltic States, Poland and Ukraine,” the President said, adding, “Unfortunately, they, Ukrainians, have run ahead of even NATO troops – as ever. They closed the airspace for Belarusian planes earlier than the European Union and Americans; it is exactly the same here, too.”
