Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said the West was planning an invasion of Belarus and would allow Russia to deploy intercontinental ballistic missiles (ICBMs) on its territory, in addition to its tactical nuclear weapons, if necessary.
According to Archyde.com, President Lukashenko said in his annual speech on the 31st (local time) that Russia’s plans to deploy nuclear weapons on Belarusian territory would help protect Belarus from threats from the West.
“Take my word for it. I have not deceived you. (The West) is preparing a plan to invade and destroy our country,” he said. I want to make a decision that will ensure peace for the people of Belarus.”
“If necessary, we will discuss with Russian President Vladimir Putin strategic weapons (to be deployed on Belarusian territory) and allow it,” he added.
Earlier, President Putin announced on the 25th that he would deploy tactical nuclear weapons in Belarus, which shares borders with NATO member countries Poland, Lithuania and Latvia, by the summer. It is reported that these countries plan to complete the storage of tactical nuclear weapons by July 1.
In a statement on the 28th, the Belarusian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that Belarus was acting to protect itself from the West. It has been under economic and informational pressure,” he said.
Belarus is an ally of Russia, and the two countries are key states in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS), an alliance of former Soviet Union states, and maintain a close economic and administrative relationship as well as military and diplomatic.
Right before the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the two countries conducted joint exercises in the Belarusian-Russian border area, and suspicions were raised that Belarus might participate in the war following the Russian invasion of Ukraine.