Russia may use security deal to send Belarusian troops to Ukraine – BelPol
Maciej Kuprejčyk speaking at US Helsinki Commission
December 6, Pozirk. The agreement on security guarantees between Belarus and Russia expected to be signed today will allow Moscow to deploy military contingents and set up new military bases in Belarus, said Maciej Kuprejčyk of the BelPol opposition group.
It may also make it easier for Russia to persuade its ally to send troops to Ukraine under the pretext of protecting “territorial integrity of Russia,” he told the US Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe, known as the US Helsinki Commission, yesterday in Washington, DC.
Alaksandar Łukašenka’s regime has increased its military support for Russia, Kuprejčyk noted, citing BelPol sources that suggested that Minsk’s military exports to Russia grew from $422 million in 2023 to $459 million in the first eight months of 2024.
Since 2023, Minsk has supplied 4.5 million repair sets for Russia’s Grad multiple rocket launchers worth $260 million, he added.
Kuprejčyk also cited data on the supplies of optical and other military equipment, noting that the two countries have already signed contracts for 2025-2026. Even privately owned Belarusian companies are reportedly supplying Russia with items used for military purposes.
Łukašenka helps Russia evade sanctions using China, BelPol representative said, calling for tighter sanctions against the Belarusian ruler.
Economic sanctions disrupt supply chains, reducing profitability and increasing production time without particularly affecting the standard of living of ordinary Belarusians, he argued.
Russia’s tactical nuclear weapons, which according to BelPol, have not yet been delivered to Belarus, may be deployed in the next two years, Kuprejčyk said.
Łukašenka and Russian President Vladimir Putin are expected to sign the agreement at the Supreme State Council meeting of the Union State of Belarus and Russia today in Minsk. It would reaffirm Russia’s readiness to use nuclear weapons in response to “external aggression.”
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