
Belarus demands assurances from Russia that it will defend it in case of any attack. President Alexander Lukashenko made this request during the reception of the Russian Minister of Defense, Sergei Shoigu, in Minsk.
The Belarusian leader said that he discussed this issue with President Vladimir Putin and that they agreed that such security guarantees were necessary and that they should be formalized.
Belarus, which hosts a contingent of Russian soldiers, has offered Moscow assistance throughout the war in Ukraine, which Putin calls a "special military operation".
There has been frequent speculation that Minsk might join the war, while it has repeatedly allowed Russian troops to launch attacks on Ukraine from Belarusian territory. But Lukashenko has strongly denied any possibility of entering the conflict.