{"id":182441,"date":"2026-04-06T13:31:01","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T10:31:01","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/182441\/"},"modified":"2026-04-06T15:09:16","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T12:09:16","slug":"lukasenka-says-russia-should-keep-core-forces-in-belarus-case-of-conflict-with-the-west","status":"publish","type":"articles","link":"https:\/\/pozirk.online\/en\/news\/182441\/","title":{"rendered":"\u0141uka\u0161enka says Russia should keep core forces in Belarus in case of conflict with the West"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
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\n (1news.az)<\/span>\n <\/div>\n <\/figcaption>\n<\/figure>\n\n\n\n

April 6, Pozirk.<\/em><\/strong> Belarus is the main element of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in the western direction, Alaksandar \u0141uka\u0161enka has told Talatbek Masadykov, CSTO secretary general, at their meeting in Minsk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGod forbid there should be any conflict in that direction [but] Russia must always have a core of armed forces here that will join the Belarusian army\u2019s operations to defend our territory,\u201d the Belarusian ruler\u2019s press office quoted him as saying. \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The politician also cited Russia\u2019s operation in Kazakhstan in January 2022, when Moscow sent paratroopers to suppress protests at Kassym-Jomart Tokayev\u2019s request to CSTO to allegedly \u201cprevent\u201d an escalation.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u0141uka\u0161enka told Kyrgyzstan\u2019s Masadykov that he \u201cfully understands\u201d that in the event of \u201csome kind of sudden conflict in Belarus,\u201d political and military support from the CSTO would be forthcoming. He stressed that Russia and its armed forces \u201cshould be the central element\u201d for Belarus, noting that most of the country\u2019s weapons are Soviet-made and produced in Russia, and that its military tactics align with those of other former Soviet republics. \u201cTherefore, we will have to defend ourselves together,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In this context, \u0141uka\u0161enka stressed the ongoing security and defense cooperation between Belarus and Russia. \u201cI believe we will continue to act in this manner going forward,\u201d he said, adding that he did not rule out a scenario in which \u201cwe will all stand shoulder to shoulder, using all our armed forces and weapons, to defend our territory, where our organization [CSTO] is supposed to operate.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The CSTO comprises Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia and Tajikistan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Armenia has paused its membership and announced its possible withdrawal. Yerevan has accused the organization of inaction during the Nagorno-Karabakh conflict and some of its members of plotting a war on Armenia together with Azerbaijan.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Last year, the Armenian foreign ministry announced that the country refused to finance CSTO activities.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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