Lukashenko: Belarus can turn into an outpost within a month if needed

In an interview with the U.S. television company CNN on 30 September Belarusian President Aleksandr Lukashenko once again commented on the speculations that Belarus may lose its independence and become kind of an outpost if it continues advancing cooperation with Russia.

“Speculations that Belarus may become part of the United States, the UK or Russia are absolute nonsense. I have answered this question recently. Putin and I, the governments of Russia and Belarus, are smart enough to set up a union of two independent, sovereign states that will be even stronger than a single entity. This issue [of losing independence and joining Russia] is not on the agenda at all. It is an invention of the collective West as they say here,” the head of state said.

Aleksandr Lukashenko stressed that in fact Belarus has long been an outpost of the Belarus-Russia Union State: “We have actually created a common army in the western direction. A joint armed force with the Belarusian army as its core. In the event of a conflict we will receive the support of all Russian military forces deployed in the western direction. We don't hide it. I am not trying to scare you. I just remind you that this is what we talk about all the time.”

“Therefore, all these speculations that Belarus will be turned into an outpost are unfounded. If necessary, this outpost will be established within a month,” the head of state added.