Фото: Минобороны
First Deputy Defence Minister and Chief of the General Staff Pavel Muraveika once again warned potential aggressors that any attack on Belarus would face a nuclear response and the use of the “Oreshnik” system. He argued that the mere presence of such capabilities on Belarusian territory serves as a deterrent.
“Before launching an attack on our country, anyone will think twice about what the response might be. There is a phrase in military history — a Pyrrhic victory. You can win, but the question is what you are left with afterwards. The existence of this potential is, to a certain extent, a restraining factor against possible aggressive intentions towards our country,” he said.
Muraveika compared today’s situation with that of World War II, claiming it is even more challenging.
“If we compare it with June 1941, today’s situation is probably even more difficult. States have grown economically and intellectually, weapons and military equipment have become far more advanced. The factors that shaped the situation in 1941 are no longer dominant. Today, mutual and unclear grievances prevail, and the sanctions policy — which will not lead to anything good in the near future — is at work.
The West is effectively preparing for war. This is why we hear revanchist rhetoric from Western politicians, why armed forces are being actively modernised, and why modern weapons are being purchased.
Naturally, there is a way to resolve this process. And our head of state has said this many times: we need to sit down at the negotiating table and reach agreements. Unfortunately, common sense does not yet prevail in Europe. We hope that this position will resonate in the near future, that countries will sit down at the negotiating table and start reducing both the aggressive rhetoric and the aggressive actions we are witnessing today,” he said.
Despite the almost apocalyptic picture he described, Pavel Muraveika is confident that there will be no war.
“We do not merely hope for peace — we are confident that we will preserve it. The voice of our country and of those rational states that defend peace will ring louder than the voices of those who want war,” he concluded.