By YURAS KARMANAU, Related Press
KYIV, Ukraine (AP) — The authoritarian chief of Belarus mentioned Wednesday that the nation will quickly obtain a big batch of Russian weapons, together with dozens of fight jets, helicopters and top-of-the-line air protection missile techniques.
President Alexander Lukashenko introduced the anticipated acquisition as Russia and Belarus put together to conduct joint warfare video games beginning subsequent week which are set to contain about 200,000 troops.
The announcement highlights Moscow’s rising help for Lukashenko, whose election to a sixth time period in August 2020 triggered months of protests and allegations of a rigged vote from the Belarusian opposition and the West.
Russia has staunchly backed the longtime president as his authorities confronted a sequence of bruising sanctions from america and the European Union. The sanctions had been imposed in response to a brutal crackdown on the post-election protests, together with the arrests of greater than 35,000 folks and police beating hundreds of demonstrators.
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Looking for to safe Moscow’s help, Lukashenko has forged the sanctions as a part of an alleged plot by the West to oust him and undermine Russia. He has described this month’s upcoming navy workouts as a part of joint efforts to counter Western stress.
“We successfully have a single military, with the Belarusian navy forming its spine within the western course,” Lukashenko mentioned. “If, God forbid, a warfare begins, the Belarusian military would be the first to have interaction within the battle, and the western group of Russia’s armed forces will be part of shortly after to kind a joint protection.”
Moscow has granted Belarus a brand new $1.5 billion mortgage and criticized Western restrictions. Lukashenko mentioned that Russia additionally will shortly present Belarus with dozens of warplanes and helicopters and air protection weapons, presumably together with the state-of-the-art S-400 missile system.
“We even might get the S-400s. We badly want them,” he mentioned.
The 2 ex-Soviet neighbors have a union settlement that envisages shut political, financial and navy ties. Prior to now, Lukashenko typically accused Moscow of forging plots to drive Belarus abandon its independence, however he has dropped such rhetoric after his crackdown on protest made him a pariah within the West and compelled him to rely squarely on the Kremlin’s help.
Lukashenko mentioned Wednesday that he would focus on a package deal of agreements meant to bolster Russia-Belarus integration throughout a go to to Russia subsequent week, however he emphasised that it could not erode Belarus’ independence.
“There is no such thing as a discuss in regards to the lack of sovereignty,” he mentioned.
However regardless of his assurances, the deliberate maneuvers and Lukashenko’s efforts to forge nearer ties with Russia have fueled issues of the Belarusian opposition that the president would possibly sacrifice the nation’s independence in change for Moscow’s help.
“Lukashenko is getting drawn right into a navy confrontation with the West and is buying and selling in sovereignty, however his legitimacy is doubtful and we can’t acknowledge any paperwork or treaties that will quit or restrict Belarus’ sovereignty,” Sviatlana Tsikhanouskaya, the primary opposition challenger within the August 2020 election, informed The Related Press in a phone interview. “Any agreements with Russia that will deprive us of an unbiased future can be reviewed.”
Vladimir Isachenkov in Moscow contributed to this report.
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