MINSK, February 17. /TASS/. The Union State of Belarus and Russia is unlikely to face direct military aggression because the two allies have demonstrated their ability to take appropriate retaliatory measures, State Secretary of the Belarusian Security Council Alexander Volfovich said in an interview with the "SB. Belarus Today" news outlet published on Thursday.
"Participants in the drills (the Russian-Belarusian joint exercise Union Resolve 2022 - TASS) have successfully demonstrated that Belarus and Russia are prepared to provide an appropriate response to those who are fomenting tensions," Volfovich pointed out. "However, direct military aggression against the Union State is unlikely precisely because we are prepared to respond to any hostile actions in a tough and effective manner," he added.
According to the security official, a combat readiness check involving response forces, as well as the Union Resolve 2022 drills, are first and foremost aimed "at containing the West’s military activities." In particular, he emphasized that Ukraine was holding a large-scale combat and staff drills dubbed Metel 2022 near the borders of Belarus and Russia, which involved about 25,000 troops, 2,200 weapons and pieces of military and special equipment.
Volfovich added that Kiev "is literally being pushed to exacerbate the conflict with Moscow." "NATO countries are providing more weapons shipments and hundreds of tonnes of ammunition to Ukraine, the [US] Department of State has given permission to the Baltic states to hand their US-made weapons over to Ukraine," the Belarusian Security Council’s state secretary noted. That said, in Volfovich’s words, the current Belarusian-Russian drills make it possible "to regroup forces and plan a defensive operation in a situation as close as possible to reality.".