Key Russian ally vows ‘immediate response’ if border violated
Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko has said Minsk will have “no choice” but to respond instantly to any violation of its state borders. The warning comes after Ukrainian drones allegedly entered Belarusian airspace last week.
In an interview with the Russia 1 TV channel on Thursday, Lukashenko insisted that Minsk does not want to engage in a war with NATO, and that it does not want the conflict between Russia and Ukraine to escalate. He stressed, however, that Belarus is prepared to protect its borders.
“If they go for it, we’ll have no other choice. There will be no ‘red lines.’ It is there, the line – the state border. As soon as you step on it, the response will be instantaneous,” Lukashenko stated.
Last week, the Belarusian leader said Minsk’s forces had destroyed several Ukrainian drones that illegally entered airspace in the southern part of the country. According to the Belarusian media, the UAVs were filled with various NATO electronics and equipment, including a US-made active antenna and a Belgian navigation system.
The Ukrainian Foreign Ministry said it saw “no particular reason to react” to Minsk’s “claims.”
Following the incident, Belarus – Moscow’s main ally in the region – announced a military buildup on the border with Ukraine, including a deployment of tanks. Kiev has suggested the step was aimed at diverting Ukraine’s attention from its incursion into Russia’s Kursk Region.
Belarus has not directly taken part in the conflict between Moscow and Kiev, having called for negotiations instead. However, at the start of Moscow’s military campaign in February 2022, it allowed the Russian military to use its territory to launch an offensive on Kiev. Relations between Belarus and Ukraine have been strained ever since.
