Opinions & Interviews

Khrenin: Oreshnik deployment in Belarus will not affect European balance of power

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 MINSK, 24 December (BelTA) - The deployment of the Oreshnik missile system in Belarus will not affect the balance of power in Europe, Belarusian Defense Minister Viktor Khrenin said in an interview with the Chinese television channel CGTN, BelTA has learned.

“We must ensure the security of our citizens. In essence, this [the deployment of the Oreshnik missile system in Belarus] is our response to their [the West's] aggressive actions, so they understand that if they come after us, they will face unacceptable damage. That is its purpose,” said Viktor Khrenin.

He is also confident that the delivery of Oreshnik to Belarus will in no way affect the balance of power in Europe. “We don’t even believe it should affect the balance of forces and capabilities [in Europe]. This is a system aimed at strategic deterrence,” the minister emphasized.

Viktor Khrenin pointed out that the complex delivered to Belarus is more than half manufactured in Belarus. “The main chassis is from our Minsk Wheel Tractor Plant, on which the system is mounted,” the minister said.

He stressed that Belarus is open to dialogue. “We say openly: we do not intend to fight you, we are not a threat to you. We say: on the contrary, let’s talk, let’s return, at the very least, to the kind of relations that should exist between neighbors,” Viktor Khrenin concluded.

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