Russia will supply to Belarus Iskander-M tactical missileslike the ones he has used in his “special military operation” in Ukraine, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced this Saturday at a meeting with his Belarusian counterpart, Alexandr Lukashenko, held in Saint Petersburg.
“As we agreed, you raised it, we have made a decision. In the coming months we will supply Belarus with Ikander-M tactical rocket systems,” which They can be used as ballistic or cruise missiles, both with nuclear and conventional charges., said the head of the Kremlin, quoted by the Interfax agency. The Iskander-M, mounted on self-propelled ramps, have a range up to 500 kilometers.
Lukashenko expressed to Putin his concern about training flights of airliners USA and of the NATO capable of carrying nuclear weapons. “They rehearse how to transport nuclear weapons. You, please, help us to adapt our planes,” the Belarusian president told Putin.
To this request, the head of the Kremlin responded with the offer to modernize in Russia the Su-25 assault aircraft that the Belarusian Air Force has. “In Europe, the Americans have 200 tactical nuclear charges (…), 275 aircraft are prepared for their possible use, and not only Americans,” he said.
To Lukashenko’s words that it could be answered “symmetrically”, Putin replied that “it is not necessary”. “But I totally agree with you that we have to worry about our safetyof the security of the State Union (Russia-Belarus) and perhaps of other countries of the Collective Security Treaty Organization,” Putin said, referring to the alliance that, in addition to Russia and Belarus, includes Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
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The Russian-Belarusian talks took place within the framework of a three-day visit by Lukashenko to Russia, in which the meetings with Putin on the first two days were informal and closed to the press.
According to the kyiv government, the Kremlin wants Belarus to join its Armed Forces in the military campaign it is carrying out in Ukraine.
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.