Alexander Lukashenko approved the new Military Doctrine of Belarus
President of Belarus Alexander Lukashenko approved the new Military Doctrine of Belarus following a Security Council meeting held on January 22. The Head of State instructed to make amendments to the document if necessary, taking into account the discussion. In the near future, the draft law providing for the approval of the Military Doctrine will be submitted by the President to the parliament for consideration. The country's leader emphasized that the new doctrine defines the views of the Belarusian state on ensuring military security and armed defense.
On Belarus's Peace-Loving Policy and Determination to Defend National Interests
"We can publicly confirm our peace-loving policy and lack of hostility towards other states with full justification. At the same time, we declare our determination to defend our national interests. Including, if necessary, by using the entire military organization of the state," said the Belarusian leader. "That is, we do not need anything that belongs to others, but we will not give up an inch of our own. This is not something we invented."
Alexander Lukashenko stated that there is no direct military threat to Belarus. "Challenges of a different nature have come to the forefront. However, as the folk wisdom says, keep your powder dry. And this wisdom remains relevant," noted the Head of State.
The President drew attention to the fact that the new Military Doctrine defines the views of the Belarusian state on ensuring military security and armed defense.
He recalled that a decade and a half has passed since the current doctrine was approved, and during this period, the situation in the world and around Belarus has changed dramatically. In particular, contradictions between global and regional power centers have intensified in the struggle for redrawing spheres of influence and the desire to defend their geopolitical interests in various ways.
“The active use of “color revolution” mechanisms to overthrow legitimate power has led to an increase in armed conflicts. Moreover, political goals are increasingly achieved by undermining the state from within,” the Belarusian leader stated. “Iraq, Libya, Yemen have been plunged into chaos, bloodshed continues in Syria. The situation in Ukraine has not yet been normalized. A number of “hot spots” are in a “frozen” state and could flare up at any moment.”
The President noted that terrorism has engulfed the whole world, from the European continent to the United States of America, and the flow of refugees fleeing from war is actively heading to Europe. “Contradictions between the Russian Federation and NATO member states have intensified, if not to say more. And we found ourselves between them, like between a rock and a hard place,” said Alexander Lukashenko. He stressed that the threat to global and regional security persists, and further escalation of conflicts could have irreparable consequences for both Europe and all of humanity. He drew special attention to the emergence of new phenomena that require an adequate response. Thus, traditional forms of warfare have been replaced by others, including so-called hybrid ones. In them, the role of informational levers of influence on the formation of public opinion in a particular state has significantly increased.
Alexander Lukashenko emphasized that the analysis of the current situation forces a revision of approaches to the comprehensive provision of national security, including in the military sphere. He noted that last year the Minister of Defense was tasked with studying all options for a forceful response to modern threats, taking into account long-term forecasts, reflecting this in a new version of the Military Doctrine, which was done. Members of the Security Council were invited to discuss how the changes in the forms and methods of armed struggle are taken into account in the document, how the developing military-political situation is assessed from the perspective of ensuring Belarus's security, and how various threats to the country will be reflected.
“Ensuring stability and security is the main condition for the sustainable development of the state and our most important task,” the President emphasized.
Ensure a safe life for the people and the sovereignty of the country
“Any people, especially ours, the Belarusian people, have always had and continue to have claims against the authorities: high prices, a shortage or surplus of meat and milk, clothes not as good as imported ones, low salaries and pensions, broken fences, leaky roofs, the authorities not clearing snow from the streets, not clearing cars on time, etc. Over time, these claims will disappear, they will simply be forgotten, or the people, as always happens, will forgive the authorities. But they will not forgive one thing – if we do not ensure their security and the defense of the country's sovereignty and independence. Then neither clothes, nor meat, nor milk – nothing will be needed when there is no piece of land on which our children and grandchildren will live,” said the President. “Therefore, if the last ruble remains in the budget or the state's pocket, it should be spent on the security of our people. This is the main thing.”
As an example, Alexander Lukashenko cited Ukraine. “Ask any Ukrainian living there today, not only in Donetsk, Donbas, Luhansk: what is most important to them. After all, they practically have no life, from the perspective of our people. No one there talks about prices, meat, currency, exchange rates, etc. anymore. They dream of everyone leaving them alone and of a normal situation in the country, of peace. Everything else, as Ukrainians say, we will find ourselves, through our own labor,” the head of the Belarusian state noted. “Therefore, whatever it costs us, we must preserve peace on our land by ensuring a safe life for our people and protecting that piece of land that we inherited.”
Prepared by Artur Sivitsky based on materials from BelTA. Vitebskiye Vesti.