MINSK, November 9. /TASS/. The West uses claims of an alleged military threat from the East to justify its jingoist policy and increase military budgets, State Secretary of the Belarusian Security Council Alexander Volfovich said.

"Being fully aware of the illusory nature of this danger, Western politicians are shifting their focus to the so-called hybrid threats. Belarus serves as a major testing ground for this strategy, as it experiences this kind of pressure every day. There are attempts to portray Minsk as the source of 'hybrid attacks,'" the BelTA agency quoted him as saying at the 14th meeting of secretaries of the CIS nations’ Security Councils in Moscow.

He recalled that Western countries prohibit their citizens from importing food products from Belarus in their personal luggage and gasoline in personal fuel tanks, as well as block access to news from Belarus. "[The West] is annoyed by the truth its citizens see when they visit Belarus, and by what they then tell [about Belarus] and bring home from it. Notably, during operations conducted by the security services of countries bordering Belarus to crack down on smuggling routes and refugee crossings, dozens of employees of their own security services and government agencies were arrested. At the same time, not a single Belarusian was among those detained," he noted.

According to Volfovich, such accusations against Minsk are used to justify pressure ranging from sanctions and border closures to the militarization of states. "The key point here is tapping into NATO and EU budgets. This is now a deliberate business aimed at securing additional external funding for military needs. Moreover, this is an excellent way to divert attention from domestic issues, which becomes particularly evident and predictable during election campaigns," he stated. "Our objectives have not changed - to prevent an escalation of the situation and to avert unintended incidents. But, as it turns out, not everyone is ready for dialogue. Moreover, it is politically risky for them, as it would lower their pre-election ratings."

"Belarus is firmly committed to a peaceful policy and to supporting humanitarian contacts between parties. We will continue to be ready to offer all necessary conditions to promote the peace process, including by providing a venue for talks," he stressed.