MINSK, November 29. /TASS/. Belarus is developing plans for responding to potential hostile military action from neighboring states in the western and southern directions, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin told journalists Monday.
"We are not carrying out any additional events to bring our armed forces into top readiness. However, our commander in chief gave a clear task: to make plans for any inadequate actions [by neighboring states] and, if necessary, we will start acting on these plans," the Minister said, according to the BelTA news agency.
"We see groups of forces being established around our state borders, both on the western and the southern directions. Our neighboring states are actively militarizing themselves, and this cannot leave us unconcerned, so we have to plan response measures," Khrenin said.
According to the Minister, the reason for the military escalation by NATO is "its helplessness and impotence."
"Especially its leadership: to create such groups of forces and in such numbers that we see, politicians must resolve the situation," the Minister said.