MINSK, March 11. /TASS/. Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said Western politicians do not want peace, as they are calling for continuing hostilities in Ukraine.
"The rhetoric from Western politicians - you see what it is like. The masks have been dropped completely. No one wants peace or stabilization. And everyone is only stirring up more aggression, making calls to continue military actions, for example, in Ukraine," he said in a statement that the ministry posted to Telegram.
He also commented on the current combat readiness test of the Belarusian Armed Forces, which started in February, saying the country does not threaten anyone.
"When I hear statements that we are using these tests to scare or threaten someone, such statements don’t prompt anything but irony and laughter," the minister went on to say.
According to Khrenin, the situation around Belarus can’t be called peaceful. He mentioned that the troops of Poland, the Baltic states, NATO, and the US are stationed near the country’s border, and their combat training activities have greatly intensified.
"We see a set of measures for advance preparation of infrastructure such as roads and ports and the strengthening of bridges. We detect constant reconnaissance measures against our country. These facts speak for themselves who is threatening whom," he said.