Vladimir Putin and Alexander Lukashenko during the latest negotiations were to agree on the creation of a Union State. In addition, Reuters reports that Russia is rearming Belarus with Iskander-M cruise missiles flying at around 400km.
“Of course, the issues related to the building of the Union State remain in our field of vision. Here we have practically everything agreed upon between the relevant ministries,” Vladimir Putin said during a meeting with the leader of the Belarusian regime Alexander Lukashenko.
According to the Russian leader – all that remains now is to realise “all the goals set before the creation of the union”.
Prearming Belarus
Furthermore, Putin stated that he would hand over to Belarus Iskander-M kits, which can deploy ballistic and cruise missiles, “with both conventional and nuclear” – Russia’s BBC News reports.
Lukashenko said in November 2021 in an interview with Russian media that he was asking Moscow to provide “several squadrons” of Iskanders. He argued at the time that Belarus was under threat of attack “from the West” and therefore needed to strengthen its army with Russia’s help. In early 2022, when Russia and Belarus held military exercises just before the invasion of Ukraine, Iskander missiles were among the armaments redeployed by Russia to Belarus.
On 6 June, the Ukrainian General Staff warned that some Russian subdivisions equipped with Iskander-M kits were still being stationed in Belarus near the border with Ukraine.