Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko made a shocking announcement on Thursday, revealing that his country was facing serious threats both internally and externally. In response to these perceived dangers, Lukashenko declared a shift in Belarus’s security posture, allowing Russia to deploy dozens of tactical nuclear weapons on its territory.
Lukashenko claimed that the Belarusian opposition was planning to seize a district in the west of the country and seek support from NATO troops. However, this assertion was quickly dismissed by the opposition as absurd and baseless.
Furthermore, Ivan Tertel, the head of Belarus’s KGB security service, stated that his operatives had successfully thwarted drone strikes on the capital city of Minsk, allegedly launched from NATO-member Lithuania. Despite these claims, Lithuania denied any involvement in such attacks.
Lukashenko, a close ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has frequently warned of potential attacks by NATO or Ukraine as a justification for closer military cooperation with Russia. He emphasized the need for Belarus to maintain a high state of alert in terms of defense and security.
The Belarusian People’s Congress, a constitutional body, was convened to approve an updated National Security Concept and military doctrine for Belarus. Lukashenko emphasized the necessity of nuclear deterrence in the face of escalating threats.
In response to Lukashenko’s statements, the Belarusian opposition criticized his claims and accused him of fabricating external threats to consolidate his power internally. Meanwhile, neighboring countries like Poland warned against falling for Belarusian and Russian propaganda, urging vigilance and caution in dealing with the situation.