In accordance with the pacts reached between the leaders of the two nations, Russia is all set to deploy its Oreshnik missile systems in Belarus a senior Russian diplomat said on Tuesday.
“In line with our allied commitments…Russia is ready to provide Minsk with the necessary support and take measures to protect our common defence space,” Alexey Polishchuk, head of the Second Department of the Commonwealth of Independent States at the Russian Foreign Ministry, said in an interview with a news agency.
According to reports, he stressed that the medium-range ballistic Oreshnik missiles will be stationed in Belarus as part of these agreements.
Polishchuk emphasised that the country’s defence and security forces are equipped to tackle both external as well as internal threats independently. He added that Belarus already hosts a joint Regional Forces Group, modern Russian defence systems, and non-strategic nuclear weapons.
Earlier last month, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko had said that Russia’s Oreshnik hypersonic missile system are set to land in Belarus “any day now.” He had also announced that the missile system is likely to be deployed near the Smolensk region.
The development coincides with Russian President Vladimir Putin's recent declaration that any prospective peace deal between Russia and Ukraine must ensure both nations' long-term security.
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“The final signing of the documents is a very serious issue that should guarantee the security of both Ukraine and Russia for a serious, long time in the future,” he had said during an interview with local media.
Putin stated that Volodymyr Zelensky is no longer the official president of Ukraine and that Ukraine can appoint anyone to negotiate with Russia, but that any agreement must be signed by legitimate Ukrainian authorities.
Putin said that any negotiations between Ukraine and Russia would be unlawful until Ukraine revoked the directive that Zelensky had signed prohibiting such talks.
Putin emphasised that Russia will protect its interests as a nation while the Ukrainian issue is being resolved.
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