Belarus may employ reciprocal measures together with Russia if the USA deploys missiles in Europe in violation of the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces Treaty or INF, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko stated, BelTA reports. 

“I am afraid that the Americans will grab the fleeting opportunity to deploy the missiles in Europe after breaking the treaty. If they do, things will turn nasty for us. And together with Russia we will have to think about reciprocal measures. It is unavoidable if it happens,” he said. 

Lukashenko stated that it would be worse if the US deployed missiles in Ukraine. He stated that the USA's withdrawal from the INF treaty could be blamed on China, who has such weapons but is not part of the INF Treaty between Russia and the US. 

“Americans worry first of all about their allies in the Pacific: Korea and Japan. [There are] American bases there,” Lukashenko said. He added that he believes that NATO will finally deploy such missiles in European countries. He also stated that he believes in Russia's position, that it did not violate the conditions of the INF treaty, but he noted that he has no reliable information on the matter. 

“That is why my answer is clear: I am totally against [the termination of the INF Treaty]. We support the peaceful policy. We do not need the fighting between large states that we had always suffered in the past,” the Belarusian President stated. 

In early February, US President Donald Trump stated that the US would no longer fulfill its obligations in the INF treaty. If the US does not start to fulfill its obligations under the Treaty within six months, it will mean the full withdrawal from the treaty. Then, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced mirror measures and stressed that Moscow is not going to engage in an arms race.

  Belarus, Russia, USA, Lukashenko, Putin, Trump, INF Treaty

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