NATO is preparing for war: Belarus MoD

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Minsk cannot turn a blind eye to the increasing militarization of its Western neighbors, as there is concrete evidence that NATO countries are preparing their infrastructure and their troops for war, according to Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin.

"The situation is really complicated today. A number of hostile leaders of the neighboring countries, unfortunately, have openly outlined the goals that they want to achieve by working against our country. We cannot leave this without attention," Khrenin said as quoted in Beita. 

The minister specifically said that the country has both the forces and the means to respond to any threat that may rise. 

Under the guise of an imaginary threat from the East, NATO and West neighboring Belarus are not just militarizing, but also preparing for war, said Khrenin. 

"They are preparing their infrastructure, their troops. We have specific data. We are monitoring the situation, we see what they are doing. Proceeding from this, we are mapping out concrete and adequate response measures," the minister added.

NATO has ramped up its presence by planting battle groups in Bulgaria, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, and Slovakia.

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In July, the Belarusian President said that Minsk will continue to support Russia in its fight against Nazism. 

Lukashenko stressed that Belarus is reproached as "the only country in the world that supports Russia in its struggle against Nazism, for its efforts to put up a barrier against the abuse of Russian people. We have supported and will continue to support Russia. These reproaches are ridiculous and sad."

Lukashenko wondered how those who reproach Belarus do not know that the alliance being built between Russia and Belarus is a "single, powerful, independent Union State of two independent peoples? We are trailblazers; this experience is unique in the world. We must set this example for others. Didn't they know that the union of Belarus and Russia has a single grouping of armed forces which was set up a long time? In fact, this is a single army. They all know that. So why are they reproaching us today? We have been together with fraternal Russia."

The President reiterated that from the start of the operation in Ukraine, Belarus voiced its support for Russia.