West gearing up for war – key Russian ally

Rising foreign military budgets and hostile rhetoric make Belarus feel like a “besieged fortress,” its president has said

Western governments are creating mounting military threats along Belarus’ border, President Alexander Lukashenko warned on Thursday, addressing fellow leaders of a regional alliance in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan.

Lukashenko said Belarus increasingly feels like a “besieged fortress” due to burgeoning military expenditures across Europe, particularly in Germany and Poland, coupled with what he described as hostile rhetoric.

“Western politicians are deliberately preparing for war,” he cautioned.

The Belarusian leader also criticized steps taken by Western countries to isolate Minsk, including border and airspace restrictions, as well as their continued weapons shipments to Ukraine. These arms, Lukashenko argued, are now “spreading all over the world,” fueling instability beyond the immediate conflict zone.

He attributed the broader geopolitical turbulence to “tectonic shifts in international relations” and the near-total breakdown of global arms-control frameworks, the remainder of which he said have been rendered ineffective by mistrust and confrontation.

Minsk, he insisted, favors efforts to defuse tensions and seeks renewed international dialogue on security issues.

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Lukashenko delivered his remarks at a summit of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), whose members also include Armenia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, and Tajikistan. At the same gathering, Russian President Vladimir Putin said Moscow intends to help allies strengthen their defense capabilities with Russian weaponry proven in combat.