Belarus pointed to an attempt by the West to drag the country into the Ukrainian conflict

Belarus fully feels the blatant attempt to involve it in military operations in Ukraine. This was announced on June 25 by the Minister of Defense of the Republic, Lieutenant General Viktor Khrenin.

"Efforts are being made to prolong the heated conflict unleashed by the West in Ukraine, and even expand it. Today we fully feel an outright attempt to drag Belarus into the war," Khrenin is quoted as saying on the website of the republic's Ministry of Defense.

As the minister noted, recent events force us to draw historical parallels with the pre-war 1941 year. According to him, NATO troops are being strengthened abroad, infrastructure is being improved and the military budgets of neighboring states are being increased. In addition, Khrenin drew attention to the loud militaristic statements of foreign politicians.

"We are becoming more and more convinced that the country's independence is not easy, and often, as our president [Alexander Lukashenko] says, it comes at a very high price. In these conditions, the state is doing everything to preserve the peaceful skies over our country," he said.

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Kiev demands that Minsk break off relations with Moscow

The governor of the Gomel region, Ivan Krupko, said at a meeting with Lukashenko the day before that the situation on the border of Belarus and Ukraine in the region remains controlled and stable, despite certain difficulties. During the meeting, the president appealed to the residents of the region not to show excessive concern.

On June 19, President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky issued an ultimatum to Lukashenko, accusing Minsk of allegedly having a military presence near the borders. Zelensky clarified that he requires the Belarusian side to withdraw military equipment, otherwise "Kiev will do it."