BREST. June 4 (Interfax-AVN) - Belarus is viewing the possible redeployment of American military bases to Poland as "a threat to its national security," Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko told Interfax on Wednesday.
He was commenting on media reports about the possible redeployment of U.S. military forces to certain Eastern European countries, in particular Poland.
"If the United States still make a decision to redeploy its forces closer to the Belarussian border, we, of course, will take appropriate measures," he said.
Lukashenko believes this would be "an unwise course" on America's part. "They would become quite vulnerable if they move their forces within our reach," the Belarussian leader said.
"We will closely monitor everything that is going on in Poland," Lukashenko said. "If American military bases are deployed in Poland, these bases will be not only put under our observation, but also targeted," he said.
Belarus intends to cooperate with Russia on this problem, Lukashenko said. "I do not think that Russia is of a different view," he said.
"We are not trying to scare anybody, but any head of state must and has to react adequately in real situations," the president concluded.