Tense military situation developing at Belarus border: Lukashenko

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A tense situation on the military and political level is developing at the Belarusian border, Belarus President Alexander Lukashenko said Thursday.

"A tense military-political situation is developing at the borders of the Fatherland in our difficult times, same as eight decades ago," the President said in his address to the nation on Border Guard Day.

Belarus will protect its independence and territorial integrity, if necessary, and the border guards will do everything possible to safeguard the country's borders intact, Lukashenko added.

Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko said Belarus was taking all necessary measures to defend its sovereignty as NATO increases its activity near the country's borders.

Belarusian Armed Forces Deputy Chief of Staff Ruslan Kosygin said in early May that NATO had doubled its military presence in Eastern Europe, allowing it to send strike forces to the Russian and Belarusian borders in the shortest time possible.

Border Guard Day is a Soviet holiday meant to commemorate civilian personnel and veterans of the FSB Border Guard Service.

The West, mainly the United States, has been pushing staunchly against Russia in light of the Ukraine war, accusing Minsk of assisting Moscow against Kiev and participating in hostilities on the Russian side, which subsequently led to sanctions on both countries.

The UK targeted a total of $2 billion worth of trade with Russia and Belarus by introducing a new, third wave of sanctions.

The British government said in early May that the move is designed to further weaken "Putin's war machine." With these new sanctions, the value of the products subjected to tariffs will amount to more than 4 billion pounds.