Belarus urges Russia-led military alliance to unite against West

Lukashenko, a key ally of Moscow, accused the West of supporting Nazi concepts and of being ‘at battle with Russia’ in Ukraine.

Lukashenko addressed the Russian president and the leaders of Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan at a gathering of the navy alliance in Moscow [Anton Novoderezhkin/Sputnik/Pool via Reuters]

Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, an in depth ally of Russian President Vladimir Putin, has known as on members of a Russian-led navy alliance to unite, as he accused the West of prolonging the battle in Ukraine to weaken Moscow.

Talking at a summit of the leaders of the Collective Safety Treaty Organisation (CSTO) in Moscow, Lukashenko mentioned “hellish sanctions” towards his nation and Russia might have been prevented if the group had spoken with one voice.

“With out a united entrance, the collective West will construct up stress on the post-Soviet house,” Lukashenko mentioned, addressing President Putin and the leaders of Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.

Sanctions imposed on Belarus have blocked $16-$18bn value of its annual exports to the West, the Belta state information company cited Belarusian Prime Minister Roman Golovchenko as saying late on Sunday.

“Due to the sanctions, nearly all of Belarus’s exports to the international locations of the European Union and North America have been blocked,” Golovchenko mentioned, in accordance with a transcript of an interview with the Dubai-based Al Arabiya tv printed by Belta.

‘At battle with Russia’

Lukashenko had beforehand insisted that Minsk have to be concerned in negotiations to resolve the battle in Ukraine, including that his nation had been unfairly labelled “an confederate of the aggressor”.

The 67-year-old chief, who has dominated Belarus with an iron fist since 1994, had additionally accused the West of supporting Nazi concepts and of being “at battle with Russia” in Ukraine.

“Followers of the Nazis are obsessive about the concept of revenge, however they aren't able to combat brazenly towards the heirs of the Soviet individuals,” Lukashenko mentioned at a speech on Victory Day, an annual vacation in Russia and different ex-Soviet international locations to mark the defeat of Nazi Germany in 1945.

“That’s why they're flooding Ukraine with weapons, waging battle on memorials, symbols and veterans,” he mentioned.

When Russia despatched troops into Ukraine on February 24, Moscow’s military entered from Belarus, in addition to from its personal territory and from annexed Crimea.

Lukashenko has argued that Belarus was not the aggressor however an ally and a strategic accomplice of Russia.

“No one overseas cares that the Belarusian military shouldn't be concerned within the preventing,” he mentioned, including that these “makes an attempt to suffocate” Belarus “will solely make it stronger”.