On the finish of a go to to Minsk, Russian President Vladimir Putin stated Russia and Belarus are working intently to mitigate the impact of western sanctions towards each international locations.
Talking at a information convention along with his Belarus counterpart, Alexander Lukashenko, Putin stated, “Russia and Belarus are working collectively to beat the illegitimate steps and sanctions towards Russia and Belarus,” and had been “working with nice confidence on this route.”
Putin added: “Our international locations are closest allies and strategic companions.”
He stated there was joint protection planning between Russia and Belarus and that Russia “will do every thing for the joint security of our international locations.”
“Such measures are obligatory due to the tense scenario on the outer borders of the Union state,” he stated — an obvious reference to the battle in Ukraine and probably the fractious relationship of each international locations with Poland.
Putin confirmed that Russia was presently conducting army workouts on the territory of Belarus and that Russia and Belarus had been additionally collectively growing weaponry.
The Russian Protection Ministry stated earlier Monday, that “The ultimate evaluation of the fight functionality and fight readiness of the items will likely be given by the command on the ultimate stage of coordination — after the battalion tactical workouts have been carried out.’
Taking questions on the information convention, Putin stated: “Russia and Belarus will create one unified protection area.”
Russian–Belarusian relations: Russian forces have been primarily based in Belarus for a lot of the 12 months. In October, the Belarus protection ministry stated that 9,000 Russian troops had been shifting to the nation as a part of a “regional grouping” of forces to guard its borders. Russian fight plane are stationed at or steadily go to a number of Belarus air bases. A number of the current cruise missile assaults on Ukraine have originated in Belarus, in accordance with Ukrainian officers.
Putin stated that Russia stays the most important investor in Belarus, to the tune of some $4 billion.
For his half, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko stated that 2022 had been a report for Russian-Belarusian relations on all ranges and claimed that “sanctions had a painful boomerang impact on their initiators.”
The European Union and the US have imposed a variety of sanctions on Belarus, principally towards senior officers of Lukashenko’s authorities in addition to air journey and a few exports.
“As a result of the collective West has reared its ugly head at us, we should coordinate our efforts,” Lukashenko stated.
Lukashenko added, “Russia can do with out us, however we won’t do with out Russia.”
