© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: Belarusian paratroopers carry out throughout celebrations marking the ninetieth anniversary of the airborne troops in Minsk, Belarus August 1, 2020. REUTERS/Vasily Fedosenko
By Lidia Kelly
(Reuters) – Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stated on Monday he had ordered the formation of a brand new volunteer territorial defence so everybody is aware of “handle weapons” and be prepared to answer an act of aggression and preserve public order in peacetime.
“The situation is not easy. I have said more than once: every man – and not only a man – should be able to at least handle weapons,” Lukashenko stated on the assembly of his Security Council.
“At least in order to protect his family, if needed, his home, his own piece of land and – if necessary – his country.”
Lukashenko, who allowed Russia to make use of Belarus to ship troops into Ukraine a 12 months in the past, has usually stated his military would struggle provided that Belarus was attacked. He has additionally stated the “experience” in Ukraine necessitates extra defence.
“In case of an act of aggression, the response will be fast, harsh and appropriate,” Lukashenko stated on Monday.
Defence Minister Viktor Khrenin stated the territorial defence drive may have 100,000-150,000 volunteers, or extra if wanted. The paramilitary formation will likely be ideally in each village and city.
The nation’s skilled military has about 48,000 troops and a few 12,000 state border troops, in accordance with the 2022 International Institute for Strategic Studies’ Military Balance.
A pariah within the West, Lukashenko, Europe’s longest-serving ruler who has led Belarus for 28 years, depends upon Russia politically and economically, and Russian President Vladimir Putin’s assist helped him survive mass pro-democracy protests in 2020.
The dependence has fanned fears in Kyiv that Putin would strain Lukashenko to hitch a contemporary floor offensive and open a brand new entrance in Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
“The elements of the Cold War: arms race and nuclear blackmail by the leaders of individual Western states have returned to the contemporary international agenda,” Lukashenko stated on Monday.
The European Union, the United States and others have imposed billions of {dollars} price of sanctions on the ex-Soviet state over its assist for Russia’s warfare in opposition to Ukraine.
On Monday, U.S. President Joe Biden made a shock go to to Kyiv to ship a message of “enduring support” for Ukraine and announce additional army support for the military of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy.
