Mikalai Statkevich: They will deploy nuclear missiles, and we won't know about it

SU-27 aircraft, which are expected to be stationed in Belarus, can carry offensive missile equipment.

Former presidential candidate and retired lieutenant colonel Mikalai Statkevich spoke to Radio Svaboda about threats from the Russian airbase that the Kremlin wants to set up in Belarus.

“I think this is very dangerous for Belarus, because we will again be turned into a lodgement suitable for attacking other countries,” he said. “In particular, if the airbase is opened in Babruisk, it is obvious that its target will be Kyiv. It is only 200 km from Babruisk to the border, and 150 km from the border to Kyiv.

Besides, we will become hostages of Russia's very unpredictable foreign policy. We are becoming enemies for our neighbours. In response, they will increase their resources, means of delivering a preventive strike and military equipment. We will have to react to it again. And this is called an arms race.

The main thing is that the threat will depend on Russia's actions rather than on us. We can put up with a radar station in Hantsavichy, because this is our contribution to the global security and it's better for strategic opponents to watch each other and prevent any incidents. But this airbase is something different relating to offensive weapons.

The model of the SU-27 aircraft that is planned to be stationed in Belarus carries offensive missile equipment. It is possible that they will accumulate there even more dangerous weapons, such as nuclear missiles, and we won't know about it.

We once withdrew nuclear weapons from our country. Do we return it again? This is extremely dangerous. It shows Belarus's dependence and its inability to be a subject of international law.

Lukashenka released me and other political prisoners for the same reason. He needs money, loans and grants. Russia gave us up to 20% of GDP in its best years, but we need more and more every year. Our economy continues to lose its relative effectiveness.

This is connected to management technologies. Thousands of companies cannot be controlled from just one place. It will lead to no good.

This issue has become acute. The country needs loans ahead of the elections, because the Belarusian ruble is about to drop again. Who can help us right now? The West will wait for the election results, IMF will set economic requirements, while Russia, through the EurAsEC Fund, will also set economic requirements, but when the agreement on the airbase is signed, it can reduce the demands and give us desired loans.

Money is the matter in this country. The country has in fact turned into a beggar who, on behalf of 9 million people, asks for money and extorts money from the people as poor as himself and even poorer. This is where just one person has led our hard-working talented people into. Money is the matter.