The Russian Oreshnik missile systems will be deployed on the territory of Belarus, in accordance with the agreement between the leaders of the two countries. This was stated in an interview with TASS, quoted by BTA, by the head of the second department for the CIS countries of the Russian Foreign Ministry, Alexei Polishchuk.
„Russia, in accordance with its allied obligations, which in 2024 were enshrined in the Security Concept of the Union State and in the bilateral Treaty on Security Guarantees, is ready to provide Minsk with the necessary assistance and take steps to protect the common defense space,“ said the Russian diplomat.
He stressed that according to the agreement between the leaders of the two countries “Russian medium-range ballistic missiles “Oreshnik“ will also be deployed in Belarus.
At the end of January, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko said that Russian hypersonic missiles “Oreshnik“ will appear in Belarus “very soon“. According to him, these missile systems can be deployed near the Russian city of Smolensk.
Polishchuk also commented on the prospects for negotiations to stop the war in Ukraine, noting that such talks can be held on the basis of the Istanbul Document of 2022.
„The Russian side is open to realistic proposals and is ready for a serious conversation. As we have repeatedly noted, a peaceful settlement is possible on the basis of the Istanbul Document of 2022, which speaks of a neutral and non-aligned status of Ukraine, its demilitarization and denazification, refusal to deploy foreign troops and military bases on its territory, and taking into account the current territorial realities and eradicating the entire set of root causes of the conflict. "In addition, before negotiations can begin, the legal aspects related to Zelensky's legitimacy and his decree banning negotiations (with Russian President Vladimir Putin - ed.) must be resolved," the Russian diplomat pointed out.