Belarus President Aliaksandr Lukashenka has threatened a joint response with Russia, including the use of all types of weapons, in the event of aggression against Belarusian territory.
In his statement, he addressed neighboring countries — Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and Ukraine — warning them against actions that Belarus could interpret as hostile.
His remarks come amid statements by President Volodymyr Zelenskyy regarding increased Belarusian activity near the Ukrainian border, including the construction of artillery positions.
Zelenskyy said Ukraine believes these developments may be linked to Russian efforts to compensate for manpower shortages and potentially expand the scope of the war.
Joint defensive response
“My task is to warn my neighbors: Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, and perhaps to some extent Ukraine. God forbid they commit aggression against Belarus,” Lukashenka said.
The president emphasized that in the event of a threat to the country’s existence, Russia would also join in defending Belarus.
“If we see that it threatens the existence of Belarus, then not only us, but also according to our agreement with the Russian Federation… it will not be easy for them. And we will use everything we have,” he said.
Minsk claims readiness for defense
At the same time, the Belarusian leader stated that Belarus would defend itself by all available means if aggression is committed against it.
This does not mean, he noted, that Belarus would immediately resort to nuclear weapons if a confrontation begins or if an attack is launched from or through other countries’ territories.
“We have enough other weapons to counter this,” he assured.
Belarus, a close ally of Russia, has played a key role in Moscow’s war effort despite not formally entering the conflict. Russian forces used Belarusian territory as a staging ground for the initial assault on Kyiv in February 2022, launching troops and equipment south toward the Ukrainian capital.
Since then, Belarus has allowed Russia to use its territory for military exercises and logistics, while avoiding direct participation in combat.
