Belarus’s Minister of Defense, Viktor Khrenin, warned that the risk of a war involving Russia and Belarus against the West has reached an extremely high level, with the potential to quickly escalate into a global scale event, according to The Moscow Times on June 3.
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Speaking at a meeting of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) in Moscow, Khrenin stated that “assessing the current situation in the Eastern European region, we note that the probability of the outbreak of a military event against the Russian Federation and the Republic of Belarus, which are members of the CSTO, as well as the possibility of its subsequent transformation from a regional into a global one, is extremely high.”
The Belarusian official argued that the buildup of NATO forces near their borders is being viewed as preparation for a possible clash.
Khrenin noted that there are approximately 21,000 alliance troops stationed in Poland and the Baltic states, and these nations are actively seeking to increase the American military presence in the region. Furthermore, he claimed that NATO regularly practices the rapid deployment of troops to the eastern flank, accompanied by offensive operations directed at Russia and Belarus.
Khrenin pointed to rising military expenditures within the alliance, which have surpassed $1.6 trillion annually, as further evidence of preparations for a military standoff. “Western political elites and related defense corporations view war as the key to internal consolidation and sustainable profit,” he said.
According to the minister, the strategic documents of the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, and other European nations reflect a trajectory toward a military standoff with Russia.
On May 25, Vladimir Putin signed a law permitting the use of the Russian military to protect compatriots abroad, while the Russian Foreign Ministry accused Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia of conducting a “punitive policy of repression and intimidation” against Russian citizens. The Russian Federal Security Service (FSB) also recently accused Estonia of violating border treaties.
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In response, NATO has begun drafting plans for the accelerated deployment of troops to defend the Baltic states and has modeled scenarios for a potential military engagement on the eastern flank, including the possibility of Russian forces launching an offensive from Belarusian territory.
Belarus leader Alexander Lukashenko stated that the country is preparing for war, noting that “there can be no peacetime.”
In mid-May, Belarus participated in Russia’s largest nuclear exercises in over 30 years, following the deployment of tactical nuclear weapons and the Oreshnik ballistic missile system to the country at Lukashenko’s request.
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