SCTO Secretary General: hypothetical NATO invasion of western Belarus or Russia would be completely reckless

This statement was made by Secretary General of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation Imangali Tasmagambetov during the Moscow-Minsk-Astana-Bishkek-Yerevan video conference dedicated to the results of the CSTO’s activities in 2024

Responding to the question about the hypothetical possibility of NATO forces invading the western parts of Belarus or Russia, the CSTO Secretary General noted that the organisation is closely monitoring the situation in the eastern European part of its area of responsibility.

“Certainly, we see the advance of NATO offensive infrastructure to the western borders of Belarus and Russia, an increase in military activity, and in general, the geopolitical turbulence that we are witnessing cannot exclude any scenarios at all,” Mr. Tasmagambetov said.

He emphasised that CSTO is well aware of the fundamental changes made by Russia to its nuclear doctrine.

“Moreover, the combat testing of the Oreshnik hypersonic weapon – currently unrivalled in the world – cannot be disregarded by potential adversaries. Therefore, if we hypothetically imagine that there might be a possible invasion of the western borders of Belarus or Russia, it would be absolute recklessness on the part of NATO,” the CSTO Secretary General stated.