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Lukashenko says Belarus will never betray Russia

The Belarusian president noted that the migration crisis at the Belarus border with the EU is another effort to exert pressure on Belarus and Russia

MINSK, December 3. /TASS/. Belarus won’t betray Russia as the countries are facing outside pressure, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said on Friday.

"It’s no secret that a hybrid war is being waged, a war that started long ago and not just against us," Lukashenko said at a government meeting, BelTA agency reported. "It’s first of all against the Russian Federation, and we are a link in this pressure on Russia."

"Moreover, we are at the forefront and we are the first to take it on," he went on to say.

The migration crisis at the Belarus border with the EU is another effort to exert pressure on Belarus and Russia, Lukashenko said.

"Can we change course and betray Russia and the Russian people? We cannot," he said.

The US Treasury Department on Thursday banned transactions with Belarus government bonds that are released on or after December 2 and have a maturity of greater than 90 days. Furthermore, amid the migration crisis on the border of Belarus with Latvia, Lithuania and Poland and alleged violations of civic freedoms in the country, 20 individuals, 12 entities and three aircraft were subjected to sanctions. The EU, the UK and Canada also imposed sanctions. Belarusian Foreign Minister Vladimir Makei said during the OSCE Ministerial Council meeting that Belarus is being penalized for revealing "the dark side of European democracy.".