Belarus will conduct a wise and cautious policy but the country must be able to protect its sovereignty, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said in a speech to the commanders of the Armed Forces of Belarus on Thursday, February 19, reports Espreso TV, citing the Belarusian news agency BELTA.
“If necessary we must be able to defend the independence and sovereignty of our country, but we will never get involved in senseless confrontations with anyone else. We will conduct a wise, cautious policy: we do not want what belongs to others and we will not give up what belongs to us. This is the essence of our policy. If we have to die for it, then we will die for it,” he said.
He noted that after the events in Ukraine it has become clear to everybody that “we must feed our soldiers and army and we must have enough to secure our own interests.” He added that “we must keep our powder dry.”
“No one can think that all is well today, that here we are great peacemakers, intermediaries, and that someone will pay us for it and that we will continue to have peace and tranquility. Do not be fooled. I emphasize again that no one can guarantee us a peaceful life. We will do everything for this life to be peaceful, but we must have an efficient army,” Lukashenko concluded.
