MINSK. Feb 24 (Interfax) - Belarus is determined to take extra steps to enhance its national security if the West continues to escalate tensions, Oleg Voinov, chief of the Belarusian Defense Ministry's International Military Cooperation Department and an aide to the defense minister, said at a press briefing for foreign defense attaches accredited at the Belarusian Defense Ministry on Monday.
The foreign military diplomats were made aware that "if Western countries continue the policy of escalating tensions, Belarus reserves the right to undertake a number of extra steps in the national security area in 2021," the ministry said on its Telegram channel on Monday.
"The pandemic and the disrespectful attitude toward the Belarusian people's will on the part of some countries affected international military cooperation in 2020," it said.
"The reaction to the presidential election in the Republic of Belarus was politicized and was not aimed at developing neighborly relations. The ensuing situation (the combination of foreign and domestic security threats) called for reassessing the military-political situation," it said.
As destabilizing factors, Voinov referred to the consistent deployment of the European component of the missile defense system, the start of the functioning of the Forward Command of the U.S. V Corps in Poland and the building of infrastructure for stationing up to 20,000 U.S. troops, more intensive intelligence activities and flights of U.S. strategic bombers, and Exercise Defender Europe 2020.
"Belarus has voiced its position on the need for specific and urgent actions to return onto a constructive path of international interaction in favor of stronger international and regional security and practical measures for their implementation," the ministry said.
The foreign defense attaches were informed that Belarus is actively reviewing opportunities for engaging its peacekeeping capability, particularly in light of its interaction with Italy. "We are prepared for broader cooperation in this field and are expecting your proposals," the Telegram channel quoted Voinov as saying.
In addition, the attaches were informed of the development of the Belarusian Armed Forces in 2020. The main training event of this year is the joint strategic exercise West 2021 to be held both in Belarus and Russia.