Updated at 13:45,15-04-2024

Lukashenka compares Crimea occupation to US bombings in Iraq

Euroradio

Belarus will stand by Russia in any situation, President Lukashenka told visiting Russia's Vice Premier Dmitry Rogozin on April 1 in Minsk.

Dmitry Rogozin is a Vice Prime Minister of the Russian Federation, Chairman of the Defense Industries Commission under the Russian Federation goverment.

Aliaksandr Lukashenka told Dmitry Rogozin: "I am very pleased to see you in Minsk as a person close to me in ideology and in soul. Then we have a number of state matters to discuss. We seem to have some problems in this regard. Frankly speaking, I can say that we don't really like the situation evolving around us," Belta state news agency reports.

The Belarus president also drew the following parallel: for instance, the Americans "bombed Iraq to bits and after the bombing everyone understood that it was a wrong move, an unfair one, yet they sided with the allies." "Why should we act differently if Russia is our ally and our only ally? That's the entire logic of it," said Lukashenka, explaining his backing for Russia's police in Ukraine.

The head of state also stressed that "our countries work very hard to advance cooperation in military and technical sphere". He said: "We are modernizing our defense industries, trying to make new products at our enterprises. But since there are only several dozens high-tech enterprises, we understand that modernization will be more effective if they are coupled with Russian defense industries." Lukashenka believes those products will be in demand primarily in Russia.