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KYIV, Ukraine (AP) – The authoritarian President of Belarus on Friday said he was ready to invite Russian troops to the country if such a move was necessary to ensure the security of both Belarus and Russia.
But, said President Alexander Lukashenko, at the moment “there is absolutely no need” to do so.
In remarks by the state-owned Belta news agency, Lukashenko stressed that he had dealt with the anti-government protests of last year without involving the armed forces of other countries, but added that he would not hesitate to bring in Russian troops if necessary.
Belarus is capable of rapidly deploying 500,000 of its own personnel, but “if that is not enough, all Russian armed forces will be mobilized,” Lukashenko said, Belta said. “If it is necessary, we will not hesitate.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said on Friday that Moscow had received no official request from Belarus to deploy troops, and that this decision “is only possible after an official request from the leadership of one country in the direction of another “.
Russia and Belarus have close military and defense ties. Two Russian radar stations communicating with nuclear submarines in the Atlantic and Indian Oceans and parts of the Pacific are based in Belarus. In September, the two ex-Soviet countries are expected to conduct large-scale joint military exercises.
Until recently, Lukashenko’s government had resisted Moscow’s attempts to expand its military presence in Belarus and rejected requests to open an air base and station additional troops in the country.
But amid the political crisis that unfolded in Belarus after Lukashenko’s re-election for a sixth term in August 2020 sparked huge protests, Russia pledged its neighbor military support and allocated a loan of $ 1.5 billion to the struggling economy of Belarus.
Lukashenko faced months of protests sparked by his announcement of the winner of an August 2020 presidential vote that the opposition and the West saw as rigged. He responded to the protests with a massive crackdown that saw more than 35,000 people arrested and thousands beaten by police.
The United States and the European Union have imposed multiple sanctions targeting Belarusian leaders and key sectors of its economy in the aftermath of the crisis.
Belarusian political analyst Valery Karbalevich told The Associated Press that Lukashenko’s statements on Friday were a clear attempt to frighten the West.
“For the first time, he threatened to deploy Russian troops in Belarus. However, the Kremlin is in no rush to support these initiatives, ”Karbalevich said.
Lukashenko accused the West of trying to orchestrate a revolution in the country it has ruled with an iron fist for decades and of preparing a coup, including by putting pressure on Belarus with sanctions. His election challenger fled to Lithuania and Lithuanian officials said Belarusian authorities were now flooding the Lithuanian border with migrants to put the EU country under pressure.
“They seem to be looking for our tender points. They mainly affected the export sectors of the Belarusian economy: petrochemicals, mechanical engineering, potash, etc. But the main objective is to leave people without pensions, wages, social benefits, education, medical care and to provoke the discontent of Belarusians, ”Lukashenko said.
The Belarusian president called for further action against the country’s human rights groups, alleging that behind them are foreign brains, and said government pressure on independent media will continue.
“The freedom of expression that we protect today under the constitution has turned into extremist activity,” Lukashenko accused, urging state officials to tightly control every journalist and blogger. “It’s one thing to criticize the authorities. We have always taken criticism adequately … It is a different thing to call for rebellion and slaughter of those who do not support these so-called revolutionary and rogue sentiments. “
In recent weeks, Belarusian authorities have stepped up pressure against non-governmental organizations and independent media, raiding more than 200 offices and apartments of activists and journalists this month alone, according to the Human Rights Center. Viasna man.
The Belarusian Association of Journalists said raids and detentions against journalists continued in Minsk and other cities on Friday. Earlier this week, authorities said Poland-funded Belsat TV channel was an extremist group.
A total of 28 Belarusian journalists remain in detention awaiting trial or serving their sentences. Journalists groups on Thursday called on the authorities to provide emergency hospital care to a prominent journalist who has been in pre-trial detention.
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Associated Press editor Daria Litvinova contributed to this report from Moscow.
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