Łukašenka laments Eastern Europe’s militarization at CSTO summit

November 28, Pozirk. The situation in the world is “only getting worse,” with the arms race “rapidly gaining momentum,” Alaksandar Łukašenka has told top security officials from Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) member states in Kazakhstan’s Astana.
“The militarization of the Eastern European region, especially Poland, continues,” his press office quoted him as saying. The Belarusian ruler also complained about the expansion of NATO activities in Europe and globally.
He omitted the fact that Eastern Europe started building up its defense capabilities in response to Russia’s full-scale war on Ukraine, in which Minsk supports the Kremlin.
Five out of six CTSO member states participated in the summit: Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan. Armenia froze its membership as it considers pulling out of the CSTO over the latter’s failure to respond to Azerbaijan’s capture of Nagorno-Karabakh.
Armenia’s absence “characterizes the current geopolitical situation in the region” and “to some extent” the bloc itself, said Łukašenka, who supported Azerbaijan in its conflict with Minsk’s ally Armenia, including by supplying weapons.
The Astana summit is the second CSTO event that Yerevan ignored after it refused to participate in a similar event in Minsk last November.

Belarus’ top diplomat sounds alarm over NATO activities at CSTO summit
- EconomyLibyan delegation in MinskThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyUpper house approves fines for vegetable shortagesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsŁukašenka says Belarusians should be grateful to his government for staying out warThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyWoman killed by hit-and-run Belarusian in PolandThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsFour more people recognized as political prisonersThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsUpper house passes bill to ban “extremists” from educationThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyBelarusian universities to offer 1,000 tuition-free places for Russians this yearThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Society
- SocietyPoland seizes medical products from Belarus with Interpol involvementThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- EconomyKuźniacoŭ replaces Jafimaŭ as industry ministerThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsRights defenders label seven as political prisonersThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- PoliticsLukašenka appoints ambassadors to Africa, Middle East, Latin AmericaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Economy
- PoliticsŁukašenka appoints more than a dozen local officialsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SocietyMPs vote to criminalize unauthorized possession of dronesThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- PoliticsPaźniak: Washington can pull Belarus away from RussiaThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- Politics
- SecurityBelarus to open six new border outpostsThe material is available only to POZIRK+
- SecurityLithuania detects irregular migration at Belarus border after days of calmThe material is available only to POZIRK+