ISLAMABAD, June 26 (Alliance News): Russian President Vladimir Putin has assured his Belarusian counterpart that Moscow will provide Minsk with a nuclear-capable missile system.
In a meeting with Russian President Vladimir Putin in St. Petersburg, Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko expressed concern over the aggressive and confrontational policies of neighboring Lithuania and Poland, according to foreign media.
He called on the Russian president to assist Belarus in its “steady response” to the US-led NATO alliance’s use of nuclear weapons near Belarus.
Vladimir Putin said he did not think there was a need for a balanced response at the moment, but that if necessary, Belarus’s Russian-made Su-25 fighter jets could be upgraded to Russian factories.
Russia’s foreign ministry said in a statement that it had told the Belarussian president that “we will transfer the Alexander-M tactical missile system to Belarus, which it can use in both conventional and nuclear versions of ballistic and cruise missiles.” Is.
Alexander-M, a mobile-guided missile system codenamed by NATO as the SS-26 Stone, replaces the Soviet ‘Skid’ and has a range of 500 km with two guided missiles. And can carry conventional or nuclear warheads.
Parts of the meeting between the two leaders were also televised.
The president of Belarus called his country and its close ally Russia the same, saying that Belarus should be ready for anything, from Brest to Vladivostok, serious weapons to defend its homeland. Can also be used.
In particular, he has sought Russia’s help in building a nuclear-capable Belarusian military aircraft.
Tensions between Russia and the West have risen since Russia launched a war with Ukraine four months ago, accusing NATO of using Ukraine as a front to recognize and threaten Russia. Planned to
Russia’s move not only faces Western sanctions, but also forces Sweden and Russia’s northern neighbor, Finland, to join the Western alliance.
Last week, in particular, Lithuania infuriated Russia by blocking the movement of goods from Russia via Belarus to Russia’s Baltic Exclusive Kaliningrad under European sanctions.
Russia has called the operation a “blockade”, but Lithuania has said it affects only 1 percent of normal freight traffic and does not affect passenger traffic.
